


let the bullets talk

by Lilywastaken



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Angst, Blood, Gang Violence, Gangs, Guns, IM SO SORRY THEY ALL SUFFER A LOT, Kidnapping, Knives, M/M, Minor Character Death, No explicit smut, Ten is whipped, a bit of torture but not very explicit, dojae are lowkey a thing but they're a mess, mention of past prostitution in later chapters, they all have sad backstories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-05-17 17:42:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 54,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14836230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilywastaken/pseuds/Lilywastaken
Summary: the eye of the dragon, a powerful gang of busan, controlled by moon taeil engages in a war against their longtime enemy the seven stars.while trying to survive and protect the people they care about, love and pain will grow intertwined in the heart of this bloody battle.will they be able to overcome it?





	1. - perfect soldier

**Author's Note:**

> hello!!  
> I hope you like this fic, i'm not sure how long this will be yet. edit: probably around ten chapters  
> Pls leave kudos/comments if you like or have any critics! thank you!!  
> ENJOY
> 
> (I'm sorry in advance if some of the boys are barely here but it's complicated to have 18 main characters so i had to make choices. I still tried my best to have them all do things at some point.)

_Twelve._

 

Not a sound can be heard in the dark alley. Just the regular ticking of a watch.

 

It’s over. The cries have stopped. The pleads. The choking.

 

It’s all quiet now.

 

Ten sighs. _Twelve_. He’s getting better. It used to take him longer. Back when he first started. The street is plunged into darkness. It’s the middle of the night already and the only source of light comes from the main road further down.

 

Jungwoo should come out soon. Ten walks over the bodies. The pool of blood spreads out more and more with every minute. Jungwoo needs to hurry.

He kneels before the man, bleeding out on the ground. Cold. Dead. Ten smiles. The neck has been so cleanly slit. He’s proud of his work but he knows his new knives have done most of the job. Ten cleans his blade with his finger, watching with a strange fascination as the drop of blood trails down his hand tainting the sleeve of his dress shirt. He shrugs. It’s not like the rest of his shirt wasn’t splashed with blood stains anyways. That’s why he wears black. It’s not the best but it does the job. He gets up and stares at his work. The two gang members lie lifeless on the ground, having died slowly. Painfully. Choking on their own blood. It was what they deserved anyways. Ten sighs again and leans nonchalantly on the cold and humid wall. He kicks a rock, getting impatient waiting for his colleague. He always preferred to work alone. But the boss had told them both to take care of this and even though Ten knows he could have done it all by himself, orders are orders. Ten got his knife out and played with it, the moonlight reflecting on the blade, sending shadows dancing on his face. The piercings on his ears glinted. Ten’s watch reads half past one when Jungwoo finally gets out from the back door. He scrunches his nose in disgust at the sight of bodies and Ten suppresses a smile.

 

“How long did it take you? I was in there for twenty minutes only” Jungwoo says with a soft voice.

 

“Twelve” Ten answers without looking up at him.

 

“Twelve minutes?” Jungwoo sounds impressed. “That’s... wow”

 

“ _Seconds_ ” Ten corrects him.

 

“Oh.” Jungwoo slowly takes a step back and there’s a mix of admiration and terror in his eyes.

 

Ten knows Jungwoo is the opposite of him. He rarely kills anyone when he has the choice. This is mostly why the boss thinks they make a good team. Ten takes care of the killing and Jungwoo of everything else that bores Ten.

 

“Do you want to drive?” Jungwoo offers, balancing the car keys off his middle finger.

 

Ten doesn’t answer but snatches the key from his hand and walks to the car, parked on the main road. They walk in silence. They drive in silence. Ten always drives when they get back from missions. It helps him clear his head. Jungwoo knows this. He also knows he’s not the talking type. So he stays quiet.

Ten drives fast and swiftly through the cold streets of Busan in their shiny and expensive black car. They reach the headquarters in no time, leaving the car in the underground parking. The doors slamming echo in the almost empty parking lot. The place is bathed in an ill greenish light and it makes Jungwoo shiver every time. Ten walks out, the sound of his quick steps echoing in the staircase and Jungwoo follows. Once they enter the main house, the floor is covered in a smooth carpet which muffles the sounds of their steps. They walk for a few minutes, through the corridors with paintings in gilded frames and expensive Chinese vases. Until they reach the carpeted red door they had been searching for. Jungwoo steps up first and pushes the door open. The room inside seem even richer than the rest of the mansion. The walls are covered with bookshelves and a glistening crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling. There’s a man sitting on the chair behind the huge mahogany desk in the back of the room. He doesn’t lift his head when the two boys enter. Another man is here too, sitting carelessly on the edge of the desk and there’s a strange familiarity that emanates from the two men. The man is on the phone and he seems in a passionate discussion in English, Jungwoo has no idea what he’s saying but he guesses something is wrong since he doesn’t seem pleased. He ends the call when Jungwoo and Ten reach the desk.

 

“Sit down,” says the man, sitting behind the desk.

 

He looks young, not older than twenty-three. His black hair is slicked back and lets his undercut appear on the right side of his head. There’s a sort of strong reassuring but intimidating aura coming from him at first sight. Ten sits down on one of the armchairs in front of the desk, throwing his leg over his knee.

 

“So, how did it go?” the man asks.

 

Jungwoo lets Ten answer, he knows his relationship with the boss his closer than his. Ten speaks in a calm voice and gives a clear summary of how their mission went. Which is none other than exactly as they had planned.

 

“I took care of Seojoon and Taehyun from The Seven Stars as you asked and Jungwoo re-established our control over the Seomyeon nightclub.”

 

“Perfect”, the man says with a satisfied smile.

 

“Have you thought about how the Seven Stars will react when they find out, Taeil?” the man sitting on the desk intervenes.

 

“They probably know already,” Ten says.

 

The boss, Taeil, looks up at the other man with a smirk and they seem to have a silent conversation that neither Jungwoo nor Ten can pick up.

 

“Well, you’re the boss, after all, I trust you” the man ends up saying, picking up his phone again and scrolling indifferently.

 

“Johnny?” Taeil asks with a soft tone. “Can you please escort Jungwoo to Yukhei? He hasn’t trained today.”

 

Johnny snorts.

 

“I don’t think he needs me to esc-”

 

Taeil’s insistent look cuts Johnny off in the middle of his sentence. He throws a glance at Ten who seems lost in his thoughts, then back to Taeil and it feels like he understands something. The next thing he knows he’s dragging Jungwoo out of the room, closing the door behind them. Taeil draws his attention back on Ten. He watches the way his silver hair falls in front of his eyes, growing longer with every day that passes. He watches the countless piercings on his ears. He marvels at how young Ten seems yet it looks like he’s lived a thousand years. You could read on his face that he hadn’t had the easiest life yet you couldn’t guess anything from his expression. He was an open book yet a mystery all at once. He was Taeil’s most precious soldier. The silence drags on so Ten, feeling Taeil’s eyes on him, clears his throat.

 

“Right. Ten, I have a new mission for you but you don't have to accept it. I can put Yuta and Winwin on the job if you prefer.”

 

Ten narrows his eyes. Taeil knows as much as he does that he's ready to do _anything_ , no matter how cruel, no matter how dirty. So him offering to put someone else on the job is unsettling for Ten to say the least.

 

“Why would I refuse? What is it?”

 

“It's um,” Taeil starts clearing his throat “It's about LEECORP.”

 

Ten's face shuts down, his eyes tainting with a dark and murderous look. His knuckles turning white from the force he's grabbing the armrest with. His breathing is heavy as he hisses between his teeth.

 

“What about them?”

 

Taeil knows that look all too well. That is what a merciless murderer looks like. This is what Ten looks like before he's slitting his victim's throat, before he's cutting their fingers one by one, slowly, with that crazy smirk and a cruel glint in his eyes. And this is exactly what Taeil feared and why he hesitated in offering him the job. Now that Ten's turned into assassin mode, Taeil is slightly regretting his decision to tell him about the mission, but he can't back off now.

 

“They've been threatening for way too long and it's time we do something about it. We're going to bring them down. The plan is to kidnap Lee's son and hold him hostage. We'll ask for a ransom, high enough so that it ruins them. And if ever he values his company more than his only family, we kill the son and we kill Lee.”

 

A wicked smile spreads on Ten's face as he listens carefully to the plan. A smile that would send shivers down anyone's back. A smile no one would ever like to be faced with. A smile that's thirsty for blood.

 

“I'll do it” Ten says finally, looking up at Taeil with that greed in his eyes.

 

“Are you sure? You know, with the history you have with them Johnny and I thought you might be too unstable to do this. We need to keep the son alive.“

 

“I will kill that Lee bastard if he's ever unlucky enough to be in the same room as I am. But I'll do my job with the son. I can control myself,” Ten says harshly.

 

Taeil looks relieved, he knows he can trust Ten to do his job. He's never had anything to say about how he handled his missions.

 

“Although,” Ten adds “I can't guarantee I'll send him back with all his fingers.”

 

◇◆◇

 

“Careful!” a voice screams as a sharp knife grazes a boy’s ear.

 

The boy looks in shock at having been almost killed, his big brown eyes blown wide. His light brown hair falls messily in front of his eyes, half sticking to his forehead. He wipes the sweat off his face and finally yells back at the voice.

 

“Can you please not try to KILL ME? We’re supposed to be TRAINING” he says and he’s half angry, half not.

 

“Oh yeah, and what’s the first rule of training Yukhei?” Jungwoo asks, rolling his eyes.

 

Yukhei stands there a bit awkwardly, all tall but looking so small under Jungwoo’s mentor voice.

 

“The first rule,” Jungwoo starts again “is to always stay focused. Which clearly you were not. Me throwing knives at you isn’t the best time to suddenly decide to watch Yuta and Winwin train.”

 

This statement seems to spark Yukhei’s interest again and his gaze travels back to the two men fighting beside them in the room. One of them has blonde hair, the other dark brown. They look like complete opposites. One shy, one confident. Yet they complement each other. No one could picture one without the other. The way they fight is so fluid, so familiar, it seems so easy like they know exactly what the other is going to do. And Yukhei is fascinated by the way they move together like he cannot quite comprehend how they work.

 

“Yukhei,” Jungwoo says again, sighing.

 

“But don’t you find it fascinating?? The way they fight?? It’s like they don’t need words to communicate,” Yukhei turns to him excitedly.

 

“Because they don’t.”

 

“How is it possible? Do you think we’ll be able to do that one day?” Yukhei asks and it makes Jungwoo blush slightly.

 

Jungwoo knows Yukhei didn’t have the easiest childhood, none of them have here, but he sometimes forgets everything he’s done, he forgets that he stole, that he killed. When he looks at him like that, with hope in his eyes as excited as a kid on Christmas morning, Jungwoo forgets it all.

 

“I doubt it. They’ve known each other since they were kids. The grew up training together,” Jungwoo answers softly.

 

“We’ll get there! I’ll work hard!” Yukhei almost screams in enthusiasm.

 

Jungwoo smiles, even though the kid is the loudest person he knows, he always manages to seem endearing. Or maybe it’s just Jungwoo.

Yukhei had joined their gang, the Eye of the Dragon almost a year ago now. He arrived from China, where the gang culture is not as developed as in Korea but he still somehow managed to get every single Chinese gang on his back after messing with them. So he fled here where he sought protection in the Eye of the Dragon. He’s a tall nineteen-year-old boy who is strong, enthusiast, brave and who won’t hesitate to kill if needed. Exactly what the gang wanted. And so when he arrived, Jungwoo, who had never been anyone’s mentor in his life had been appointed to train him and teach him everything he would need to know. It had been challenging with someone like Yukhei, but the boy is willing, and he is trying his best all the time, even though he screams a lot and no one understand what he’s doing half of the time.

 

“Let’s take a break, I just came back from a mission and I wouldn’t say no to a good night’s sleep” Jungwoo finally says, putting away his knives and taking Yukhei’s from his hands. The latter lets him do it, he watches him the whole time with a sparkle in his eyes of something Jungwoo can’t really pinpoint. He puts it on the excitement from seeing Yuta and Winwin fight without asking further questions.

 

Ten passes by them as they’re about to leave the training room. He doesn’t even look at them. Jungwoo doesn’t mind, he knows Ten likes to be alone so he just leaves him be. Yukhei, on the other hand, has made it a challenge to see Ten smile at least once so he’s taking every opportunity he gets to get closer to him.

 

“Hey, Ten! How are you doing? Are you going on mission again?” he asks, noticing how Ten is still all geared up.

 

Ten turns back to them, he looks deadly. Two knives in hands, guns in his thigh holsters, combat boots, fingerless black leather gloves, a black shirt and leather jacket. His eyes are shining with revenge. Jungwoo takes a step back, which seems to happen often when he sees Ten. Surprisingly enough, Ten answers the question.

 

“Yes. I leave in three hours, for the LEECORP mansion” he says with a smirk.

 

Yukhei is about to say something when Jungwoo beats him to it, not wanting him to wander on that subject.

 

“Ah well good luck we have to go we’ll see you later!!” he says with a fake enthusiasm, waving goodbye.

 

Jungwoo drags Yukhei out of the room before he can say anything more. Which only makes him pout.

 

“What was that about?” Yukhei asks.

 

“You do not talk about LEECORP to Ten. You don’t. Ever. And most of all you don’t ask questions,”

 

Yukhei opens his mouth to protest but the look in Jungwoo’s eyes convinces him otherwise. He seems more serious than he has ever seen him. They walk in silence through the dimly lit corridors until they reach the dormitory. Jungwoo leaves Yukhei to his room, recommending him to get a few hours of sleep before they start training again. Yukhei lays down on the single bed in the corner of his room. It’s a small room. A bed and a desk. The bare necessities. With barely nothing on the walls except a few pictures Yukhei has taped above his bed. That one band he likes. That movie he’s seen at least twenty times. Him and Jungwoo. Jungwoo smiling. Yukhei will never get tired of looking at them. Yukhei starts thinking, staring at the ceiling. He thinks about training. And Jungwoo. And the gang. The missions that await him. And Jungwoo. His childhood in China. Everything he went through. And Jungwoo.

Somehow everything seemed to come back to him.

 

◇◆◇

 

The light of a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling flickers in the dark room. There’s water falling from a pipe in the wall.

Plip.

Plop.

Plip.

Plop.

A man is sitting on a sagging couch, his legs crossed. Waiting. His fingers tap impatiently on the armrest of the couch.

Tap tap tap.

Tap tap tap.

Someone coughs, standing next to him. A man dressed in black. Clothes so neat and rich. Contrasting with the atmosphere of the room. Everything in the air seems tensed. Suspended in time. Waiting for something.

_Someone_.

Finally, the large iron door opens in a creaking sound that makes the standing man wince. The Something is happening. The newcomer looks tired, breathless, he’s holding himself on his knees to try and catch his breath.

 

“Talk,” says the man on the couch in a voice that leaves no other option.

 

“They killed them.” he blurts out “Every single one of them, they killed them all boss.”

 

“Who. Did. It.” he asks, slowly drawing out his words, anger boiling inside of him.

 

“The Eye of the Dragon. Two of their men”

 

The man’s mouth stretches in a deformed smile, the scar on his upper lip more visible. The glint in his eyes screams nothing but murderous intent.

 

“We’ll make them regret ever being born. We’ll kill every last one of them.”


	2. - no way out

The training room is deserted at this early hour in the morning. Everyone always trains until very late at night so 6 am is not an hour to be awake. But someone is. Waiting impatiently to leave for his mission. Playing with the blade of his knife. Throwing it in front of him. Watching with satisfaction as the tip of the blade disappears deep within the floor.

Taeil has given him all the instructions he needs to see through his delicate mission. They’ve already done this kind of thing, of course, kidnapping, ransom, all of that. But never to such a popular company as LEECORP. They need to be careful. And that’s part of why Taeil was so adamant to send Ten. He’s their best soldier. Their most skilled assassin and most loyal member. He has never, ever disappointed them. And even with his history with LEECORP and his desire for revenge, Taeil knows he will follow orders.

Jaehyun, another member of their gang, has been called on this mission as well to get Mr. Lee away from his personal residence during the time Ten will be there. Leaving his son alone, with barely two security guards. A piece of cake. Ten expects to be done in an hour.  

He watches the hands of the clock move. Slowly. Way too slowly. He has never looked forward to a mission as much as he does now. His leg is shaking in anticipation and his knife throws get faster and faster with time. Finally, as the clock strikes seven, Ten stands up so fast it makes his head dizzy. He smiles, checking one last time that he has everything with him. Guns. Knives. Phone. Rope. Ketamine.

_He’s ready._

When he walks out of the training room he runs into Yuta and Winwin. Together again. Always. The bags under their eyes showing how little they slept. Ten doesn’t talk to them. They don’t talk to him. Ten knows he isn’t the most affectionate or talkative out of all of them but he likes every person in the Eye of the Dragon. Truly. He considers them all his family. Ten has been here for a few years already and has known some of them from the beginning, others arrived along the way. But sometimes, and today is one of those times, he just doesn’t want to see any of them.

He rushes out of the room into the parking lot where a driver is waiting for him. They hired him especially for this job. He doesn’t know anything about their gang, about who hired him and why. He’s only been told where to go and when to leave. The rest he doesn’t need to know. That way if the mission fails or if the police get their hands on him, he wouldn’t be able to reveal anything to them. Ten gets in the car and gestures for the driver to get going. They drive smoothly through the streets of Busan. It doesn’t take them very long to reach the Lee personal residence and as they drive up the street to their mansion, they notice Lee’s car leaving his driveway. To meet Jaehyun at a café downtown. Far from here. The timing is on point as always. The driver parks the car on the other side of the sidewalk. And from there, it’s up to Ten. The mansion is surrounded by high cement walls with an electronic portal for the entrance. Ten knows the security inside the mansion is minimal so he doesn’t try to be discreet in any way. He still wears a black mask to hide most of his face, for the cameras. He climbs the portal, his leather fingerless gloves gripping the walls and allowing him to haul himself over the portal to land in the paved alleyway leading to the house. Ten knows there are cameras everywhere from here and he needs to act fast so the security guards don’t have time to contact the police. It doesn’t take long for them to show up. One of the guards gets out of the house from the main entrance, probably thinking he is faced with a random thug he can easily take care of.

 

“Hey, what are you doing here? This is a private property, get out or I’ll call the police!” the guard barks at him when he is only 6 feet away from him.

 

The second guard is walking towards them at quite a distance. Ten smiles. He draws his favorite knife faster than the guy can even realize and the next thing he knows he’s choking on his own blood. Throat slit so cleanly. He’s bleeding on his shirt, holding his throat in his hands, in shock, before he falls face down on the hard paved floor. As soon as his colleague drops dead on the ground, the other guard reaches for his phone to call the police. A stupid attempt if you ask Ten. He draws a dagger and throws it. It rips through the air at an incredible speed and sinks through the guard’s forehead, finding its way into his skull. Ten’s second opponent drops to the floor in a loud thud. His phone lies on the floor next to his corpse. It seems he has had the time to dial the police number because a crackling voice asks:

 

“Busan Metropolitan Police Agency what is your emergency?”

 

Ten walks to the phone and picks it up.

 

“Hello? Sorry I must have dialed the wrong number, I’m really sorry for the inconvenience”.

 

He hangs up and puts the phone in his pocket. The first part of the mission is now cleared. He looks up at the mansion, standing towering over him, its white immaculate walls almost blinding. The boy must be somewhere inside. Probably sleeping at this early hour in the morning. Ten knows this will be easy, easier than he would've thought. He's going to make Lee regret ever being born. And this mission is only the beginning.

He slides inside through the open glass front door, making sure not to make any noise. The house is huge and Ten has no idea where to search first. He goes for the ground floor, navigating through the rich furniture, all marble and modernity, a weird classy concept that Ten despises. Classic Lee. Making money on the back of his workers, letting them die just so he can buy fancy furniture. Ten wants to spit on his corpse.

The ground floor is empty and of little importance, except maybe for Lee’s office but Ten has a mission and he can’t stray. He walks up the stairs, one by one, softly. His combat boots not making any noise on the soft carpeted steps. When he reaches the first floor, Ten notices Lee’s son's room at once. The door is slightly open and plunged in darkness. He can make out a shape in the bed, barely moving. Ten pushes the door open slowly so he can slip inside. The room is neat and tidy for a teenager, the desk is clean, books neatly placed on the shelves. Ten notices a picture on the bedside table. It’s a boy, no older than seventeen with someone who Ten supposes might be his younger brother in his arms. Both smiling so wide. He hasn’t been informed of another son in the house and Ten wonders what has happened to that kid. He turns from the bedside table to look at the boy, Taeyong, if Ten remembers well, sleeping soundly under the covers. His hair is bright red and falling softly in front of his eyes. His facial features are sharp but they look softened with sleep. Ten actually stops for a second, just watching him breathe calmly his eyelids fluttering, not expecting for a second what is about to happen to him. Ten almost feels bad for him. _Almost_. He’s just a boy, around Ten’s age, caught in this conflict. All because of his father. Ten knows he doesn’t deserve any of this, but deep inside him, if he can hurt Lee that way, he’s ready to go for it. Ten gets his knife out, just for good measure, he knows he’s not allowed to hurt him, at least not now.

 

What happens next happens too fast for Taeyong to have time to react. He finds himself jolted awake by a guy pinning him down on his bed. Straddling him, one leg on his left arm, his other arm restrained by the guy's strong grip. He has a knife in his right hand and before Taeyong even has time to scream he presses it against the soft skin of his neck threateningly.

 

“You make a sound and you’re dead,” Ten says between his teeth.

 

The blade on Taeyong’s neck draws a small drop of blood that drips onto the sheets, staining them with red. Taeyong’s eyes are blown wide open, frozen in place, unable to react. Or even move, feeling the pressure and strength of Ten’s body restraining him. Taeyong can barely make out his face in the darkness of the room. He notices silver strands of hair and piercings glinting in the ray of light coming from the window.

 

“Wh-who are you?” Taeyong manages to mutter, his voice shaking.

 

He can see the shadow of a smile blooming on the intruder’s face.

 

“You’ll find out soon enough” he answers and the words, spoken in such a cold tone, send shivers down Taeyong’s spine.

 

Taeyong gulps and feels the blade on his throat moving at the same time. He can barely feel his left hand anymore, crushed under the guy’s knee, pressing him down. He tries wiggling his fingers to get some sensations back, in vain. He’s breathing with difficulty, paralyzed with the fear of what the intruder plans to do to him. Why is he here? Is he going to kill him? The thought brings tears to Taeyong’s eyes.

Ten’s expression turns to confusion when he sees the boy’s teary eyes. He had expected everything, a struggle, screams? But him crying, he hadn’t planned. Ten can’t help but notice how beautiful he looks, all vulnerable, eyes shining with tears, his bare chest barely covered by the sheets. He hopes the boy can’t see the way his cheeks flush in the dark. He’s killed hundreds of people, his presence itself inspires fear to anyone who dares oppose him and here he is, blushing because of a pretty half-naked boy. He shakes his head in disbelief. It would be such a pity to taint this beauty with blood though. Ten hopes it won’t come to this. He removes the knee restraining him and Taeyong can finally get some sensations back in his arm. Ten retrieves his silenced gun from his thigh holster and points it at Taeyong’s head, watching him as he closes his eyes shut.

 

“I’m not gonna shoot,” Ten says, rolling his eyes, and completely removing himself from Taeyong “Get dressed and then you’re coming with me”

 

Taeyong opens his eyes again, slowly, the gun barrel still aimed at his face. Without saying anything, Taeyong gets up in his bed, the sheets slide to reveal more of his chest and Ten averts his gaze for a second. He mentally slaps himself, he’s trained for how long? Four years already and the number one rule is to never lose focus of your target. Not even for a pretty boy. Taeyong stands up in his boxers and walks to his desk where a pair of jeans is neatly folded on the chair. Ten watches him carefully and he doesn’t miss when Taeyong reaches out discreetly for his phone, on the wooden desk. Ten doesn’t hesitate and shoots. The bullet whistles through the air, flying so close to Taeyong’s ear he freezes in shock, his hands just centimeters away from his phone. Ten doesn’t lose a second and moves swiftly through the room like a snake, getting Taeyong in a chokehold. The boy can barely breathe with Ten’s muscled arm restraining him firmly. Ten is so close to him Taeyong can feel his breath on his neck.

 

“That’s such a pity, you should have behaved” Ten whispers, his voice deep, right next to Taeyong’s ear.

 

And before Taeyong can even realize what is happening, he feels a sting in the back of his neck as a dart of ketamine is being injected into his body. In a matter of seconds, Taeyong’s vision is getting blurry and he can barely stand on his feet. Ten is holding him strongly and starts dragging him out of his room. Taeyong can see it, he can feel the steps as they get down the stairs but his brain doesn’t seem to register anything. The sounds are muffled, it almost feels as if he’s underwater. By the time they reach the ground floor, Taeyong is unconscious. It takes Ten no longer than 5 minutes to tie him up with the rope he brought with him. He carries him out outside in his arms and it almost looks like he’s sleeping. He walks fast down the alleyway, avoiding the bodies on his way, and opens the portal with the keys he found on Taeyong’s bedside table. The driver already has the engine running when he arrives. He puts Taeyong in the trunk carefully and closes it with a loud bang. A minute later and they’re driving off back to the headquarters of the Eye of the Dragon. The ride back is quiet, the driver not daring to ask any question about what, _who_ , is in the trunk. Ten looks down at his hands and notices how his fingerless gloves are stained with blood. Probably when he slit that security guard’s throat. He pouts, he knows he can do better than that. He will need more training. Ten can't even count how many rag dolls he has slit open while training. And Taeil always complains about how they constantly need to buy new ones because Ten ruins them in a matter of seconds.

 

“We're here” the driver finally says, dragging Ten out of his train of thoughts.

 

Ten retrieves Taeyong from the trunk and leaves him next to the door leading to the stairs. He's still unconscious, but Ten knows it won't last long. Ten leans on the driver's open window, staring at him intensely.

 

“Now you leave and if you tell anyone about anything we will find you and we will kill you.”

 

The driver nods quickly and he's out of the place in seconds. Ten watches him go with a satisfied smile.

 

“You stole that line,” a voice says from behind him.

 

Ten turns around only to see Johnny looking at him with an amused expression. Leaning on the cement wall, in his all-black suit, cigarette in hand, he looks like the epitome of the modern gangster. He's wearing an expensive watch on his wrist and his long slim fingers hold the cigarette with a certain elegance Ten has never acquired.

 

“What are you doing here? Did Taeil ask you to watch me?” Ten says with a look of defiance.

 

“Well, he _was_ worried, but he trusts you. I'm here on my own to see how you handled it, ” Johnny answers with a smile. “Seems like your guy is waking up already you should take care of that”

 

Johnny is right. Taeyong's eyes fluttering open, all drowsy from the drug, not really registering what had happened to him or where he is. Ten sighs. He figured it would happen. He retrieves a huge scotch tape from his bag and kneeling in front of Taeyong, tapes his mouth shut in case he would want to scream in panic. The action has Taeyong's eyes flying open, regaining almost all his consciousness. He tries to scream for help but the tape muffles every sound he tries to make. His eyes look from left to right in a frenzy, from Ten to Johnny, registering how none of them will be merciful. He feels the tears coming up to his eyes and the next moment he is crying, tears falling, rolling down the smooth surface of the tape and onto the floor. Ten can't stop looking at him. He's amazed by the way his eyes shine with the artificial light of the parking lot and the wetness of his tears. He looks ethereal. And so _so_ easy to break. Ten's thumb wipes his tears from his cheek in a soft gesture.

 

“Let's get you somewhere more comfortable shall we?” he whispers, his fingers tracing the side of his cheek to his jawline.

 

Taeyong has stopped crying and making desperate sounds. He's looking at Ten now but his eyes betray him and Ten can read fright in them. Fright and… Curiosity.

An idea starts to grow inside of Ten at the sight but he keeps it quiet. Hidden away for now.

 

“Since when did you become such a softie?” Johnny interrupts with a loud laugh.

 

Ten rolls his eyes and gets up again, facing Johnny. Or rather Johnny's torso since the guy is as tall as a _tree_.

 

“Leave me alone” he growls, picking Taeyong up in his arms and surprisingly not meeting any resistance. The boy has probably accepted his fate.

 

“Our little Tennie has a soft spot!” Johnny says, delighted, in that tone that Ten hates so much that basically says “The whole gang is gonna hear about this”.

 

“Fuck right off” Ten replies, giving him the finger while disappearing through the stairs.

 

◇◆◇

 

Taeil shuffles through the files spread out on his desk. Maps. Reports. Information. He sighs. His eyes can’t seem to focus on the writings. It’s almost nine in the morning already and Taeil still hasn’t gotten an ounce of sleep. He knows he needs to rest but he can’t allow himself to do so. He’s their boss. To all of them. It’s his job. To make them more powerful. To get them money. To protect them. There are so many things to focus on at once. Spreading their drug dealing network, one of their most profitable activity. Bringing LEECORP down. Getting control back in west Busan, especially the nightclubs and bars. Which leads to their confrontation with the Seven Stars. And Taeil is the only one to plan everything out. He’s always been a genius at this. When he got into the Eye of the Dragon at 18 years old, he proved himself to be a very valuable asset and wonderful manipulator and none of his plans ever failed. The previous boss and he worked closely together and he was strongly believed to take the lead of the gang when it would be necessary. And a year later, here he was. He had really considered refusing. He had never been a leader. Never had this much responsibility. He wasn’t sure he had the shoulders for it. But he had Johnny. Doesn’t remember ever not having Johnny. He had convinced him. Told him he believed in him, he knew he could do this and he would be there for him, _always_. Both of them, they didn’t do very pretty things in the past, and won’t do better in the future. But if there is anyone in the world they can count on it is each other.

A frantic knocking on the door rouses him from his thoughts and he realizes he still hasn’t gotten anything done.

 

“You can come in,” he says loudly.

 

He already knows who it is of course; He’d recognize that excited knocking anywhere. He can’t help the fond smile that blooms on his face when a mess of tangled blond hair storms into the room, all out of breath.

 

“Hi Jisung”

 

“Hyung!!” the boy says, trying to catch his breath and talk all at once “Ten - _hhh_ \- he came back!”

 

Taeil watches him closely. His hair all messy and growing too long again, too fast. His small eyes glinting with excitement. His training gear torn in places. His hands dirty and his knee scraped and bloody.

 

“What happened? What did you do again?” Taeil asks, eyeing at Jisung’s injury, worry tainting his voice.

 

Everything that has to do with Jisung is a source of worry for Taeil. He is his older brother and his only family. He has to take care of him. And sometimes he puts a bit _too much_ heart into this responsibility. After all, it’s always been both of them together against the world.

 

“I.. um, I went outside, I tried climbing walls and fences. I can’t do that inside the training room and it’s so fun, I went skateboarding too!”

 

Taeil sighs. He knows how much effort Jisung is putting into his training. He wants to become “the most amazing soldier this gang has ever known” to quote his words. But he’s only sixteen. He’s still a child and Taeil doesn’t want him to lose all his innocence just yet. He refuses for him to go on any mission before he reaches eighteen years old and Jisung hates it. Taeil knows him, he knows he feels frustrated, not being able to help, being stuck inside the headquarters, condemned to only be training for years. He knows he wants to prove himself to Taeil, to show him he’s ready and that’s why he’s getting more and more reckless.

 

“Stick to the training room okay? I know it’s no fun but I don’t want you getting hurt” Taeil says softly.

 

Jisung looks down at his feet, whispering a small “okay”. It hurts Taeil to see him so down but it’s for his own good.

 

“So, Ten is back you said?” Taeil asks with a smile “He did it?”

 

Jisung’s smile is back on his face in a fraction of a second. It’s the most exciting thing happening inside the headquarters for a good long while. Jisung has never seen any hostage-taking in his life so he is overly interested and plans on following everything that is happening very closely.

 

“Yes! He did, I passed by him in the corridor and he was carrying a boy with red hair and bringing him to the detention room.”

 

Perfect. Everything was going according to plan. Taeil knew he could count on Ten, but most of all he was relieved his history and grudges with LEECORP didn’t obstruct his objective when the time came. And he trusts it won’t happen in the future either. Because Ten is about to be a key part in this operation.


	3. - confrontation

Taeyong's eyes flutter open, still drowsy, eyelids heavy, not quite registering where he is. Everything is blurry, out of focus. When he goes to rub his eyes sleepily, something stops him harshly. Restraints. Both of his wrists are tied together with a strong rope behind the chair he is sitting in. The rope digs into his skin as he resists, trying to free himself. It doesn't take him long to realize it's all in vain. He takes a look at his surroundings. The room seems rather small and empty, with cement walls, cement floor. There's a large metal drawer in a corner and Taeyong tries not to think about what it may contain.

_ What had happened? What is he doing here? _ Taeyong's mind is racing, trying to comprehend the situation. 

He breathes in. 

And out. 

Calming the beating of his heart slowly.  _ Right _ . 

_ Focus _ . He had gone to bed the previous night just like every other night. Got into a fight with his dad, nothing too out of the ordinary. In the morning, his dad had an appointment with the son of CEO Jung which meant he could sleep late for once. Taeyong closes his eyes shut tightly, forcing himself to remember every single detail, anything that might have been a little off. Nothing. Yet here he is.  _ Kidnapped _ . And Taeyong has no idea why. What are these people going to do to him? Why do they need him? The boy who abducted him said he will “find out soon enough” but Taeyong isn't sure what he meant by that. 

The boy. Taeyong feels a mix of emotions towards him. A sort of hurricane he can't really identify and that he's not quite sure he can control. He feels terror, above all. His aura, and the way he drew his knife across Taeyong's neck terrified him. But also fascination. Taeyong wants to know what has gone through the making of his eyes. Every single thing that led up to this. In his eyes, Taeyong had seen anger. Revenge. Madness. And pain. So much pain. But with terror and fascination, comes curiosity. Yes. Taeyong is curious. Because the boy is a walking contradiction. The way he dragged his knife on his skin drawing blood with a cruel smirk and his voice tainted with a sick enjoyment before Taeyong blacked out. But Taeyong also remembers the way he wiped a tear from his cheeks with a strange tenderness none would have expected. Taeyong has always been particularly attracted to things that escaped his grasp of understanding. And the boy is no exception. 

The rope starts to feel heavy on his wrists after so long, painful even. His feet are tied up as well and his limbs are going numb from staying in the same position. Taeyong's head drops, feeling too exhausted to keep it up. He has no idea how much time has passed since he was taken from his home. How long he's been sitting here alone, in this dimly lit and quasi-empty room. Then, when he's slowly drifting to sleep, barely able to keep his eyes open, someone enters the room. The door slams behind him but Taeyong doesn't have the strength to look up. He sees two legs in black jeans and combat boots walk up to him before he's strongly struck across the face with the back of a hand. This gets him right out of his slumber, the slap still burning on his cheek. It is the boy with silver hair and knives. He's standing here in front of him, looking at him with his mysterious brown eyes but Taeyong doesn't have the time to drown in their complexity because soon another slap comes and the cold metal of the rings on his hands makes it even more painful. 

 

“Lee Taeyong” the boy starts, pacing around the room “Son of Mr. Lee, CEO of LEECORP. 22 years old. Cancer. Born in Seoul but moved to Busan when you were a kid when your dad established his business. Mother died when you were young. If I'm not mistaken, your dad is the only family you have left isn't he?”

 

The boy stops pacing to ask his question, resting his hands on the armrests of the chair, his face so close to Taeyong he can almost feel his breath on his skin. 

 

“H-how do you know all this? Who are you?” Taeyong says, voice shaky and croaky from disuse. 

 

The boy smiles, then slaps him again. Stronger than before. It's so painful it almost brings tears to Taeyong's eyes. He closes them, trying to keep his composure. His heart is beating so fast he feels it might rip out of his chest. Fear is paralyzing him. 

 

“Not. What. I. Asked.” the boy says between his teeth. “Answer,” he orders. 

 

Taeyong swallows with difficulty feeling the lump in his throat grow bigger. 

 

“Y-yes” he answers, still looking at his feet. 

 

“Good, ” the boy says satisfied. 

 

He goes back to pacing, Taeyong can see him play with one of his piercings from the corner of his eye. He wants to know why he is here and what they are going to do to him, but his cheek, still burning, is a painful reminder that he should keep quiet. 

 

“We're not gonna hurt you. Not that I don't want to but I have orders,” the boy says, his voice coming from behind Taeyong, deep and sultry, his hands caressing his neck and the touch makes Taeyong shiver with fear. “Unless you disobey.”

 

Taeyong can barely move, frozen in place, and it's not because of the restraints. His eyes are blown wide, hyper-aware of everything. He sure isn't going to disobey. He's done some stupid shit in his life but he's not stupid enough to get himself killed. The boy seems to revel in the fear radiating from Taeyong. He's feeding on it. He loves the control he has over him. The door opens again and a tall brown haired boy storms in. 

 

“Ten! Taeil is looking for you, he said you should meet him with Chenle in the training room” the newcomer says all at once. 

 

Ten sighs. Out of everyone, Taeil had to send Yukhei, the least delicate of them all to watch over Taeyong. 

 

“Are you sure you're good with watching him?” Ten asks, not convinced. 

 

“Don't worry about it. I just hit him when he speaks. I'm good!”

 

Ten sighs deeper. He doesn't want Yukhei hurting Taeyong too much. And the younger boy tends to not control his strength too well. It's not like he has any other option anyways. They'd start asking questions if he called for someone else to watch Taeyong. But he can't help it. There's something about him that's  _ different _ . He's not like his other victims. He’s not just scared. Of course, he's terrified but he looks  _ interested _ too. And the interest is mutual. Ten kneels in front of Taeyong, looking less threatening than he was just a minute ago. 

 

“I'll be back soon. In the meantime, don't say anything, we don't want you to be beaten up do we?” Ten says quietly, throwing a glance at Yukhei. 

 

Taeyong seems to understand what he means because he nods energetically. He wasn't planning on saying anything anyways, three slaps from Ten were enough for him to have learned the lesson.

 

◇◆◇

 

Ten finds Chenle on his way to the training room. He's a blonde sixteen-year-old, around Ten's height. And yes, Ten  _ hates _ it. He's been in the Eye of the Dragon for as long as Ten can remember. Before he was even there. He specializes in spying and break-ins since he's lithe and light. He is their best spy. He started going on missions since he was ten years old and he has never once gotten caught. Ten acknowledges him with a sign of his head and Chenle smiles brightly back at him. They walk in silence side by side until they reach the training room where Taeil is waiting for them, currently in an intense discussion with Johnny. Their whispers die out when the two boys enter the room to which Chenle just throws Ten a knowing look. Everyone in the gang knew how close they were, as they kept repeating it, they were  _ best friends _ . But the way Johnny's hand rested on the small of Taeil's back and how he drew it out quickly when they entered and the way Taeil's cheeks colored a light pink, it was all very hard to ignore. Ten clears his throat. 

 

“You must wonder why I asked you two to come here” Taeil starts, completely ignoring their insistent looks. 

 

“Not really,” Ten says, unfazed “Probably about the LEECORP operation” 

 

Chenle has a small laugh at Taeil's annoyed face and Ten's casual tone. 

 

“Yes, the operation” Taeil sighs “Chenle, have you been briefed about it?” he adds, his voice softening when addressing the younger boy. 

 

“Yes, Johnny told me this morning, so I figured you would need to see me at some point” Chenle nods, flashing a smile at Johnny standing behind Taeil. 

 

Taeil pouts slightly, probably dissatisfied that no one seems to be overly excited or curious about his plan. 

 

“Right. At this point we've had Taeyong for five hours, now if Jaehyun is right, Lee should come home late tonight. Which leaves us some time to settle for asking for the ransom. I mean, I know we could just ask Jeno to hack into Lee's laptop but I like to do it old fashioned.” Taeil explains. 

 

Ten is leaning on the wall, a bit back from the conversation but still focused on everything Taeil is saying, listening carefully. Chenle looks interested too, he always is when it comes to working. 

 

“So what's the plan?” Ten intervenes. 

 

“I was getting there. Chenle, you're going to sneak inside the mansion, Ten and Johnny are going to brief you about it and tell you everything you should know. And you're going to install a camera and leave this laptop” he points at a slim black laptop resting on the table behind him “So when he finally realizes something is wrong, we'll have a nice little chat with him. You think you can do that?”

 

“Who do you take me for?” Chenle laughs loudly like he can't believe Taeil really asked this question. This is a piece of cake for him, he has done way worse. “Of course I can do it.”

 

“What about the laptop?” Ten asks “Won't they be able to track it?”

 

“I'm not an amateur Ten. We got Jeno to take care of it, we're untraceable.” Taeil says with a smirk, proud that he has thought of every little detail. 

 

Ten has a small satisfied smile. Everything was going perfectly, soon this Lee bastard would get what he deserves. Bankruptcy. All this precious empire he has spent so long building, crumbling down to dust. Oh, that would be so rewarding to watch. Ten thought he deserved worse though. But right now he was untouchable. He would wait, wait for his financial ruin to break him. Then he would act. The more he thinks about it the more kidnapping Taeyong is a brilliant idea. He knows Taeil only wants to use him for a ransom and then give him back, or kill him. But Ten thought they could use him even more. The idea developed in his mind as he was slowly piecing together the situation. He decides to keep quiet for now, to wait to see how everything would unfold after they get in contact with Lee. 

 

◇◆◇

 

Johnny comes running into Taeil’s office just hours later. His usually perfectly styled hair falling messily in front of his face and visibly out of breath. Taeil knows him too well. He knows that look in his eyes. He gets up instantly, walking towards him quickly and urging him to talk.  

 

“What happened? What did they do?”

 

Taeil’s voice is worried but stable, controlled. He knows something bad happened but whatever it is he is ready to handle it and take rational decisions. It’s his job after all. Johnny stops a second to catch his breath then looks at him in the eyes. 

 

“It’s a mess. They’re occupying the Seomyeon nightclub. They killed all our men here and even customers. It’s a bloodbath.” 

 

Taeil’s eyes widen in horror. Killing each other between gang members was not surprising, it happened often, and yes sometimes civilians got caught in the fire. But purposefully killing civilians to get your point across? That was on another level of cruelty. 

 

“What about the police? They’ll get arrested!” Taeil says, confused. 

 

“They have the police with them. They must have infiltrated it. They’re untouchable tonight. I think they’re sending us a message. They don’t seem too happy about our raid from last night.” Johnny answered, his voice deep and filled with worry. 

 

“You were right, yesterday's raid was a careless move. But I am  _ not _ going to let them take control over  _ our _ part of the city. If they want a fight, I'll give them war.”

 

Johnny spends a long time just looking at him with an indecipherable look in his eyes. After what feels like forever for Taeil, his face relaxes. 

 

“You know I'm with you. Always,” he says, putting his hand on Taeil's shoulder. He looks up at him and finds all the bravery he needs in the look Johnny gives him. Full of wholehearted trust. “So what do we do? We should probably send Ten”

 

“No” Taeil stops him immediately. “We need Ten to finish the LEECORP mission, we’re so close we can’t back off now. Yuta and Winwin will go. They’re the best we have beside Ten. But we can’t just make them go like that, if what you say is true and they’ve got the police with them that’s one more risk and I’m not willing to take it. They will go masked and they won’t approach the nightclub. They’re our best snippers, I want them to take out their leaders and leave. We don’t want a direct confrontation, not now. Just show them we won’t let them do as they please without any consequence.” 

 

Johnny shakes his head in understanding. He knows Taeil is right, and as usual his plan is well thought and mastered. Johnny has no idea what awaits them by getting into this conflict with the Seven Stars, their everlasting enemy, but if he is sure of one thing, just one thing. It’s Taeil. He knows he will do whatever it takes to make sure they win this. And Johnny trusts him. He gives Taeil a small sign of his head and leaves the room, searching for Yuta and Winwin to send them off on their impromptu mission. 

Taeil watches him leave with a sigh. He leans on his big wooden desk, his heartbeat giving no sign of slowing down. He closes his eyes, trying to stop the shaking of his hands, and calm his breathing. It is a mix of anger and fear. Taeil isn’t scared of the Seven Stars per se. What he  _ is _ scared of is letting the Eye of the Dragon down. Being their leader, he has to bear the responsibility, take decisions, and if anything goes wrong it’s his fault. No matter what. He has to protect them, all of them. And sometimes he isn’t sure he can do it. But he isn’t alone. Whatever comes at them with this conflict, they’ll face it all together. 

 

Yuta and Winwin come back late in the evening. Too late. Taeil is pacing in his office, worried that something might have happened to them. They come back in the middle of the night and Taeil has stayed up waiting for them. The whole mansion is silent. Almost everyone is asleep soundly in their rooms. Usually at this time of the night, people would be in the training room or working in the lab, the study. But lately, everything has been fairly calm. No big clash, no exceptional mission to prepare for. That’s why all the members were excited by the LEECORP mission, it wasn’t every day they had something so exciting inside the headquarters themselves. But Taeil knew everything was about to change. And he didn’t know when they would be able to sleep this soundly again. The Seven Stars were the most important gang in Busan and probably in the whole of South Korea. It dated back to the 17th century. The Eye of the Dragon started in the 18th century and it has been its main goal to catch up to the Seven Stars and challenge its position at the top. It knew a very quick rise in power and popularity in the 19th century and the rivalry with the Seven Stars has always been persistent ever since. The last time they had gotten into a huge conflict with them, it had ended badly for the Eye of the Dragon. Taeil knows this of course. He knows all about their history, their conflicts, their failures, their successes. It’s his job. History. That’s what it is to Taeil. And now suddenly it isn’t anymore. It’s very much real, and he has to deal with it like other bosses before him have. 

Yuta and Winwin walk into his office that night, dressed in all black, wearing masks and sniper goggles on top of their heads. They’re holding their rifles carelessly thrown on their shoulders. Taeil sighs in relief at the sight of them. They came back. And they’re alive. They don’t seem wounded either which means they probably weren’t noticed by the enemies. They’re good. Very good at their job so Taeil isn’t surprised. 

 

“Hey Boss,” Yuta says when he enters the room. 

 

Taeil pretends he wasn’t dead worried just a minute ago and answers on the same tone. 

 

“How did it go?”

 

“Just like you planned it. We took out their leaders and then left. They didn’t see us I think,” Yuta answers, Winwin staying quiet a little bit back. 

 

It was always like that. Yuta was the confident, talkative one and Winwin was the quiet type. And it had always worked perfectly like that. They were both amazing at their jobs, but together, they were invincible. They have this connection that no one in the gang had ever really understood, but no one ever questions it either. 

 

“Good. That’s really good guys. Thanks” Taeil says, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. 

 

Yuta doesn’t answer, but Winwin gives him a look and it’s like he understands something. So he asks. 

 

“What happens next Taeil? You haven’t really told us why we had to do this? What happened at this nightclub? It was… bloody.” 

 

Taeil looks down at his feet for a while. He doesn’t know how to tell them. He sent them on the job right after Johnny told him the situation, they had to act quick. But no one else knows about it. And he can’t just tell them “ _ Well we might be at war with the most powerful gang in South Korea _ ” without having a plan to back it up. Otherwise, it would only cause panic. He sighs. 

 

“We’re… Not sure what this is yet. Johnny and I, we’re working on it and once we figure it out, I’ll call everyone to inform you on the situation. In the meantime please don’t spread rumours, don’t worry everyone for nothing.” 

 

Yuta nods in understanding. And Winwin throws a knowing look at Taeil. They will keep quiet, and wait. The thing is every single member of the gang trusts Taeil with their lives. It’s just how it is in the Eye of the Dragon, it’s a family made of broken humans that life has thrown in the gutter. A family pieced together by a common pain. It’s the family they chose for themselves. The place that offered them a home when they thought they’d never have one ever again. 

And Taeil is grateful for their trust, he really is, but sometimes the responsibility of it weighs like an anchor on his heart and he hopes he never, ever disappoints them. 


	4. - a plan

It’s early in the morning when Ten comes back and dismisses Yukhei from his duty with Taeyong. He leaves slowly and watches as Ten crouches down in front of their prisoner once again, just staring at him intensely. Yukhei feels he is not welcome to stay any longer in this room so he slips outside and closes the door swiftly behind him. He walks through the corridors, the familiar way leading to the training room. The one he has taken countless of times in the past few months. Without it ever getting boring. Because why would anything be boring when it involves Jungwoo? Yukhei liked training, he really did. After all back in China, he got into many fights purposefully. He loves the rush of it. The adrenaline. But here, what he loves most is fighting with Jungwoo. Learning with him. From him. He slaps both of his cheeks to get himself out of it.  _ Focus Yukhei _ . Jungwoo waits for him as he always does, comfortably seated at the table in the back of the room, studying the other members train. The training room is unusually busy today. There’s a rumor that something is coming. People want to be prepared. Even Mark is here when he normally prefers to stick to drug dealing and not get into fights. Now he’s here training with Renjun who’s the Eye of the Dragon’s scientist and is out of his lab for the first time since Yukhei joined the gang. He tries not to pay attention to them too much, he just waves to everyone then strolls to join Jungwoo in the back. 

 

“Back already?” Jungwoo asks him when he settles next to him on the bench.

 

“Yeah, Ten came back. I think he’s taken an interest in the boy” Yukhei answers. 

 

“I’m not sure that’s a good thing” Jungwoo mumbles so low Yukhei is not sure he caught it well. 

 

Jungwoo doesn’t seem to think about elaborating on that, he looks at the rest of the people training in the room and he seems lost in thoughts. Yukhei sighs. He knows he is new and there are things he is not supposed to know yet but he has been here almost a year already and he is tired of people’s mysterious looks and evasive statements about some sort of secrets. 

 

“Okay, what is with him? I deserve to know at least what this mission is about!” Yukhei says, a bit too loud. 

 

Jungwoo turns to look at him, half surprised half confused. But his expression softens when he sees Yukhei’s face. The boy just wants to _ know _ . He is tired of feeling left out, and Jungwoo knows exactly how that feels, he has been in Yukhei’s place before. He figures it wouldn’t hurt to tell him about it a bit. At least this will stop him from asking questions. 

 

“Ten and LEECORP. They have a history. And not a pretty good one. I don’t know everything about it but I know it’s not pretty at all. Ten doesn’t share anything personal, I think the only person who knows the whole story is Taeil. The thing is Ten’s dad used to work for LEECORP, you know how they have a lot of factories? Well, he was a worker in one of them. I’m not sure exactly what happened but he was fired and he owed so much money to LEECORP, that’s one of the things they do, they would make their workers owe them tons of money so they’d never be able to leave. Ten’s father wasn’t able to pay it off and he worked himself to death. That was years ago. I know that’s not everything to the story because it took Ten some years before joining and Taeil made sure to keep it secret how he actually joined the gang. I think it was Ten’s request. That’s why you don’t talk about LEECORP to Ten, ever, he would just get angry and  _ no one _ wants an angry Ten. That’s also why I’m not sure him taking an interest in that boy is such a good thing. He might just be planning some sort of revenge. “

 

Yukhei stays quiet for a while which really worries Jungwoo because he  _ never _ is quiet. He throws him a curious glance, expecting any kind of reaction to his story. 

 

“Wow, that’s… harsh.” Yukhei finally lets out. 

 

“Yeah, it is. But we all have our stories. Our reasons why we’re here.” Jungwoo says, shrugging. 

 

“What’s yours?” Yukhei blurts out without really thinking about it “Why did you join?”

 

Jungwoo’s expression changes and Yukhei instantly regrets asking this question. His face looks closed off, colder, sadder too. But Yukhei doesn’t want to just stop there, now that he started it he doesn’t want to back off. 

 

“You know everything about me but you’ve never shared anything about your life with me. Why won’t you tell me anything?”

 

Jungwoo doesn’t answer. He doesn’t even turn to look at him. His gaze is fixed straight in front of him and it doesn’t look like he is even listening. 

 

“You don’t… You don’t look at me like I look at you. You don’t see me like- like anyone. I am just that annoying newbie you have to train right? It’s a burden to you. I can see it. I noticed it.” Yukhei continues and he knows he’s saying too much and he should probably shut his mouth because almost all the training room can hear them now but he can’t stop. 

 

“What are you saying Yukhei…?” Jungwoo says with a soft voice, not expecting Yukhei’s outburst. Not understanding it. 

 

“Exactly. You don’t know what I mean. Because you don’t _ see _ me.” Yukhei stands up suddenly and leaves the training room with big strides, everyone clearing a path for him. 

 

The room is quiet, no one dares to speak. Jungwoo is left there, speechless, confused and slightly guilty. He doesn't quite understand what Yukhei had meant to say. _You don't look at me like I look at you._ The words echo in his head yet he doesn't understand them. But he knows he had hurt Yukhei and even though he doesn't get the implications behind all of it, he feels bad for it anyway. He never meant to hurt him in any way, ever. Jungwoo doesn’t go after him. He figures Yukhei might need some time alone and he shouldn’t come to bother him especially right after _this_. 

Mark walks up to him and sits down next to him, where Yukhei was just minutes ago. He is younger than Jungwoo by just a few years and he has a youthful face, with a defined nose, doe eyes, and a pretty smile. He discreetly gestures for the others to resume training and talking then turns to Jungwoo with a sympathetic smile on his face. 

 

“You okay?” he asks. 

 

“Yeah, I just… don’t know what to do” Jungwoo answers so softly it’s almost inaudible. 

 

“Give him a chance,” Mark says simply, putting his hand on Jungwoo’s thigh and squeezing it lightly. 

 

Jungwoo looks at him, studying his expression and he wonders if everyone has decided to be cryptic today to confuse him. 

 

“What do you mean a chance? At what?” 

 

Mark’s doe eyes widen at this. 

 

“He’s right… You really don’t see.” 

 

Now, Jungwoo is a really patient and understanding person but all this mystery and people talking about _ seeing _ whatever he doesn’t see is slightly getting on his nerves. 

 

“See what?” he asks a bit harshly. 

 

“You’ll find out.” Mark says while getting up “You should train, you know, something big is coming, better be prepared.” 

 

◇◆◇

 

The interrogation room remains quiet. So quiet anyone would think it’s empty. But it’s not. Taeyong is still there, tied to the chair, his muscles on fire and the wood of the chair feeling like iron on his body from being there for too long. Ten is here too. Leaning against the wall next to the door so he can face the tied-up boy. He doesn’t say anything. There’s nothing to say. This isn’t an interrogation, he is just a hostage. But Ten likes being here. And watching him. He watches the way his red hair shines with the artificial light of the room. He watches how his head looks so heavy he lets it down, not able to support its weight. 

Sometimes when he gets sore from not moving, Ten would pace around the room and Taeyong would tense, fearing what might happen. But he would just walk around, sometimes stop to go through the contents of the metal drawer and then he would go back to leaning against the wall or sitting down on the ground, his arms resting on his parted knees casually. Ten can see how Taeyong looks at him, he can see how curious he is and how he is dying to  _ say _ something. But he doesn’t. The threat of being beaten up still weighs upon him and he doesn’t want to upset anyone that is in a position to kill him. 

Ten checks his watch and he realizes he promised Taeil he would join him in his office ten minutes ago. He gets up in a hurry and leaves the room, leaving Taeyong all alone for the first time in hours. Ten had asked Taeil if he could be here when they would call Lee for the ransom and Taeil had agreed. Ten had done his job really well, he could at least get this. He gets to the office in a short time and Taeil is already here with Johnny and Jeno, setting up the computer for the call. Jeno makes sure Lee won’t be able to turn their camera on and he also takes care of hiding their identity and location. 

Jeno is one of the best assets of the Eye of the Dragon. He is their one and only hacker and he takes care of anything relating to electronics and the internet. Which in situations like this one, reveals to be very useful. Once everything is set up, Jeno gives them thumbs up and leaves with a big smile, closing the door behind him. 

 

“Well, let’s get to it then” Taeil announces with a sigh. 

 

“Wait” Ten interrupts. 

 

Taeil turns to him curiously. He hadn’t really expected Ten to interrupt all of this. He thought he just wanted to watch and relish in Lee’s despair. But Ten has something in mind. Something that won’t stop bugging him inside his head since he went to that mansion to kidnap Taeyong. 

 

“Can you… record this call?” Ten asks eventually. 

 

Taeil cocks an eyebrow at him. 

 

“Why would we do that?” 

 

Ten takes a moment to answer. Thinking about how to explain this. How to find the right words. 

 

“I was thinking. The boy. If Lee refuses to pay, we can’t kill him. I mean, we  _ can _ . But it would be stupid. He can be useful to us. He could… join us.”

 

Taeil stays speechless at Ten’s revelation. He can’t quite believe he is even asking this. Taking the son of one of their enemies as a member of their gang? That was so careless, especially for Ten. That was so  _ different _ from how he usually is. 

 

“Ten, why would we do that? How could we ever trust him?” Taeil answers slowly, choosing his words carefully, to make Ten understand how impossible his request is. 

 

“I know this sounds crazy but we can turn him to our side I can feel it. We can make him join us. If we record this call, I can show it to him afterward. I can show him how his father abandoned him. He will start hating him and I’m sure in the end he’ll be glad he chose us over his scum of a father.”

 

“Ten I don’t-” 

 

“I can see it in his eyes! He has the same look I had when one of our members came and found me all these years ago. He has the same look when he sees me as I had when I saw this guy putting a bullet right through this man’s head. Fear and fascination. This is a dangerous combo but when you control it Taeil… well, you know what happens.” he finishes, gesturing towards himself. “Taeil. Please. You’re not the kind to just kill innocent people. This boy hasn’t done anything wrong in his life. Just, trust me on this.” 

 

Taeil stays quiet for a while. Ten is right, he knows he is. Taeil secretly hoped that Lee would pay the ransom so he would just give Taeyong back and everything would be over. Because the alternative… They are gang members, but they kill people who deserved it. People who had wronged them. And sometimes people caught in the fire. Ten’s idea would spare Taeyong’s life. And he isn’t wrong, if they manage to turn him to their side, he would be an amazing weapon. And if they don’t manage to turn him well…. there is  _ always _ an alternative. 

 

“Okay” Taeil finally says. 

 

Johnny turns to him in surprise, ready to protest but Taeil stops him, placing his hand softly on his thigh, as if to tell him  _ It’s okay, I got this _ . 

 

“We’ll record this, I’m going to give Lee a week to send the money. If after a week we don’t receive anything, you’ll make him join us. Of course, you can start right after this but it all depends on how this interview goes. So let’s just get to it and discuss all of this afterward okay?” he continues. 

 

Ten nods, apparently satisfied with Taeil’s decision. He knows Lee won’t pay. He knows what kind of trash he is and it’s the one who cares more about money than his own family. And if Ten is honest with himself, the boy deserves better than this. 

Taeil presses a button and the laptop’s screen lights up. The camera on the laptop Chenle left at the Lee mansion turns on and they can see the inside of Taeyong’s room. Ten remembers how he found Taeyong sleeping soundly in his bed the first time he saw this room, and now here they are. It has been a full day and a half since Ten’s mission. Enough time for Lee to have noticed Taeyong’s unusual disappearance. They were right. Lee is here, sitting on Taeyong’s bed, a phone in his hands, looking down at his feet. He looks… worried. But for someone whose son just disappeared, it could be worse. Ten feels his blood boil in his veins at the sight of him and he clenches his fists so tight his nails dig into this skin. Johnny puts a hand on his shoulder to calm him down but Ten would rather not be touched right now so he slaps his hand away. Only the sound is activated on their side so Taeil speaks in order to get Lee’s attention. 

 

“Mr. Lee, what a pleasure to see you” 

 

Lee’s reaction is immediate, his head shoots up, turning towards the laptop on the desk. He gets up from the bed and takes a step forward hesitantly. 

 

“Who are you?” he asks, he seems cautious and his gaze travel all around the room probably searching for other cameras. 

 

“It doesn’t matter who we are,” Taeil continues, his voice is calm and clear-cut. Sometimes Ten forgets how professional he is because he’s so close to everyone that he doesn’t feel like a boss. But when he has something to do he does it without hesitation and he does it well and Ten respects him a lot for that. “What matters is we got your son.” 

 

This sparks Lee’s interest and his whole face changes. Relief maybe. He sits down on the chair in front of the laptop getting super close to the screen Ten actually has to look away because he can’t deal with seeing this bastard so up close. 

 

“Where is he? Is he okay?” Lee asks, hopeful. 

 

“Oh, he is fine. For now.” Taeil answers. “But if you want him back in one piece. We’re going to need something in return.”

 

The color drains from Lee’s face when he hears Taeil’s words. It had been stupid of him to hope people who snuck in a laptop in his house and won’t show their face or names would just give him his son back so easily. 

 

“What do you want?” the tone of his voice is cold and harsh. 

 

“Five billion wons.” Taeil’s words fall like a death sentence on Lee. 

 

“Billion??” he screams.

 

“Oh come on, did you think we would give him back for a thousand? We wouldn’t have gone through the trouble if we didn’t want  _ more _ .” Taeil has a cruel laugh. 

 

Ten can’t believe how different Taeil is when he gets immersed in his job. It’s like his whole personality changes. Like he’s colder, meaner. 

 

“It’s not about you is it?” Lee says, realizing what it means. “You know it’s a rough patch for my business. You’re requesting so much because you don’t want me to get out of it.” 

 

Had the camera been turned on, Lee would’ve been able to see the wide wicked smile on Taeil’s face. And Ten’s smirk in the background. He found it so delectable to see Lee slowly realizing what they were planning, to see it dawn on him, helpless and desperate at being caught in their trap. Because he already lost to them. Whatever he chooses he either loses his business or he loses his son. 

 

“You really think I’d give up my business? I’ve spent decades building it to reach this success. I will never give it up.  _ Never you hear me?! _ ” Lee bursts out suddenly. 

 

Ten scoffs. Exactly how he had expected him to react. He was a scum and he hadn’t changed a bit in six years. Taeil doesn't lose his composure, instead, he answers calmly.

 

“You have one week. After that, we kill your son.”

 

◇◆◇

 

Taeyong has been alone for an hour and he already misses the presence of the boy, Ten. He usually likes being on his own but in these circumstances, anything is better than staying alone. At least having someone here means they care and they won’t leave him to rot. Taeyong doesn’t know how long he’s supposed to stay here but he knows his body won’t last much longer, strained in this position. After a little while, the door opens slowly with a creaky sound and Ten appears again. His face looks dark this time. Taeyong wonders if this means anything for him. Maybe they finally decided they were going to kill him. Maybe this was really the end. Taeyong had not wanted to think about it, but in all honesty, he thought he deserved it anyways. He hadn’t even been able to save  _ him _ … So why would  _ he _ get to live? 

Ten walks to him, with long, slow strides and plants himself in front of him, a hand in his pocket, another one holding what looks like a slim black laptop. He stares down at his feet at first, then with a sigh, he looks up at Taeyong. 

 

“I have something to offer you,” he says suddenly. 

 

Taeyong had expected him to say literally anything. But this? It never crossed his mind for even a second. Ten’s face is impossible to read, his lips pinched together and his intense gaze never leaving Taeyong’s face. The boy isn’t sure his offer is anything good at all in the end. Taeyong feels too nervous and shy to hold Ten’s look, he doesn’t know if he’s allowed to answer but he figures since he’s been spoken to it would be disrespectful not to say anything. Taeyong settles for a small “Yes?”, his voice so croaky from disuse it hurts his throat when the word leaves his mouth. 

Ten takes a deep breath before dropping the bomb on Taeyong. 

 

“We want you to join us.” 

 

Taeyong almost chokes on his saliva. His eyes are wide and scrutinizing Ten’s face looking for any hint that this is just a big joke. Ten shakes his head, he had expected this reaction after all. 

 

“Let me explain a bit.” he starts, settling on the ground his legs crossed, in front of Taeyong. “In case you haven’t picked that up yet, we are a gang. We’re called the Eye of the Dragon. Your father’s company is something we need _ gone _ . Which is why we kidnapped you. We offered your father a ransom to get you back or we would kill you.”

 

Taeyong sucks in a breath when he hears Ten’s revelation. He doesn’t say anything but the fear is eating him up inside. His father valued his company more than anything in the world. Would he really leave him… to die? They’ve never had a good father-son relationship but, they were each other’s only family, and Taeyong hoped that meant something to him. His hopes are crushed when Ten continues. 

 

“He refused to pay. We gave him a week and cut the call but I’m pretty sure he’s going to stay on his decision. I’m sorry.” 

 

Taeyong needs a moment to take in what Ten said to him. His father refused to pay. His father refused to give the money knowing well that this would mean his son would die. Taeyong had felt alone for years but never as much as he did at this moment. It doesn’t feel  _ real _ . It feels like he might wake up soon and all of this will have been just a terrible nightmare. He closes his eyes for a moment, but when he opens them again he is still in the small room, Ten sitting in front of him, looking at him with worried eyes. 

 

“Are you going to kill me?” Taeyong asks, and his voice is surprisingly calm. 

 

At this point, he doesn’t care about dying. He knows no one in the world would miss him anyway. 

 

“Didn’t you hear what I said before? I asked you to join us.” Ten says. 

 

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Taeyong questions, he had no reason to trust Ten, but for some reason, he wanted to. 

 

“We recorded the call. I have it here” he says pointing at the laptop is his hand. “If you want to see it just ask me, I’ll leave it here for now,” Ten gets up and leaves the laptop on the metal drawer on the corner of the room. 

 

Taeyong eyes it curiously but he doesn’t think he’s ready to see it. If Ten had told him the truth, he’s not sure he can take seeing his father refusing to save him with his own two eyes. 

 

“You don’t have to choose now. You have a week to decide. Now I’ll leave you to think about it.” 

 

The door closes with a loud bang behind Ten and it resonates inside of Taeyong’s head, leaving him alone once again fighting with his own thoughts. 


	5. - join us

Days pass with a certain numbness. Taeyong doesn’t feel them pass. He doesn’t see the days. He doesn’t know how long he’s been here. The room doesn’t have any windows and he doesn’t see the sun rise or set. Ten’s daily visits are his only reference. 

With every day that passes, Taeyong loses a bit more hope. No news from his father. He is not sure he is ever going to come home at this point. Two days after Ten told him the truth about his presence here, he comes back to talk to him again. Taeyong is asleep when he enters the room and Ten makes sure to close the door softly so it doesn’t wake him up. He sits down, his back to the wall, and plays silently with his knife while he waits for Taeyong to wake up. The boy has had it rough the last couple of days, he deserves his sleep, even though it isn’t in the most comfortable position. It doesn’t take long for Taeyong to open his eyes drowsily but they fly open as soon as he notices Ten sitting in the corner of the room. For once, Taeyong starts the conversation, without being asked to. Perhaps it’s because of Ten’s attitude towards him, that has become softer with the days they’ve been around each other, or maybe because he thinks he has got nothing to lose anymore. Whatever it is, he feels braver now. 

 

“Are you here to ask me to join you again?” Taeyong asks, and his tone isn’t aggressive or annoyed but rather weary. Tired. 

 

Ten takes a moment to look at him. At his defined jaw, his cheekbones, the curve of his lips. His eyes. His very tired eyes. He looks paler than the first time he saw him. He looks sadder too. And every day he sees him, Ten notices that sparkle in his eyes slowly dying out. And it pains him to see Taeyong like this. Because it was never supposed to be  _ him _ suffering. It was always meant for Lee. It is Lee who deserves to rot and suffer. But again, just like six years ago, everyone around him suffers so he can thrive. Ten feels his blood boil in his veins when he thinks about it. He wants to shake Taeyong and make him _ realize _ what kind of man his father really is. More than just using Taeyong for their profit in the gang, he wants to get him away from Lee, to make him realize how much better off without him he would be. Instead, he just shrugs. 

 

“It’s worth a try” 

 

Taeyong doesn’t answer. He doesn’t know what to think. It’s only been two days since they asked the ransom from his father and deep down in his heart Taeyong still hopes he will change his mind. But it’s fading. And his resolve to stay out of the Eye of the Dragon’s business is withering. Ten never mentioned it when talking to him but Taeyong has come to the conclusion that if he doesn’t join them and his father doesn’t pay then they will probably kill him. There is no option in which he walks free from here without his father’s help. But Taeyong can’t give in just yet. He has got to have at least a bit of faith in the man that raised him. The man his mother loved. If his mother trusted him then he figures he should give it a try too. She was the most wonderful woman Taeyong has ever known, she must have seen something in him.  

Taeyong doesn’t know why they would need him in their gang anyways. He doesn’t understand their offer. What use would he be? He has no training, no skill, he has never murdered anyone in his life, never done anything even remotely illegal. He’s not sure he is even ready to do this. Becoming a criminal. This isn’t something one decides over a day. 

 

“I can’t be… like you. It’s not who I am.” Taeyong says after a while. 

 

“And who  _ are _ you?” Ten retorts. 

 

“How is it any of your business? You were hired to kidnap me, why should I tell you anything?” Taeyong almost screams out. 

 

The frustration, anger, fear, everything that has been piling up for the last few days just explode all at once in Taeyong’s voice. 

 

“I don’t owe you ANYTHING! You were just going to kill me anyway so DO IT! Why do you even care?!” 

 

Tears of anger flow out of Taeyong’s reddening eyes. He struggles in his chair, not really trying anything but just to make his point across.  _ How can you even pretend you care about me when I’ve been tied up here for days? _ Ten hasn’t moved from his spot on the floor. His legs are crossed together and he’s staring at Taeyong with an almost sympathetic look. He gets up without saying a word and walks towards Taeyong who raises his head to watch him come closer, confused. And just like he heard his thoughts, he goes behind him and unties the rope restraining his wrists together as well as the ones on his ankles. Taeyong is too shocked to even move or try to escape. He just stays sitting there, his arms dangling from the sides of the chair. Then he slowly rubs his wrists with his hands and notices how red they are from the friction of the harsh rope on his soft skin. He winces in pain. 

 

“I just want you to realize the truth about your father.” Ten says softly, back at his spot in the corner of the room. 

 

Taeyong turns towards him puzzled by his actions, his words, everything about him. He’s so fascinated by the riddle that is the boy with silver hair. 

 

“W-why did you do this?” he asks, his voice smaller than before. 

 

“I don’t want you to feel trapped. This isn’t what we are about. We’re a family. And I want you to join us because… I feel that you- don’t deserve this. How Lee treats you it's-” Ten clenches his fists recalling everything Lee has ever done. 

 

Taeyong looks at him for a long while. When Ten talks about Lee, the anger in his eyes wins over almost every other emotion you can usually read in them. Taeyong knows his father’s business is a threat to the Eye of the Dragon but he doesn’t quite understand why Ten would feel such pure rage when talking or just barely mentioning his father. 

 

“Ten,” Taeyong says, and it’s the first time he calls him by his name, so Ten’s head shoots up to look at him “How do you know my father?” 

 

Ten remains silent, his eyes anxiously looking at everything but Taeyong. The latter hasn’t moved from his seat since Ten has removed his restraints. He can see the way Ten’s fists clench again, how his nails dig into his skin and how he’s biting his lips so hard he’s sure it will draw blood. 

 

“I-I’m sorry I can’t,” Ten says almost inaudibly before storming out of the room.

 

Taeyong hears a click and he figures he has locked the door of the room behind him. He sighs in defeat. In the end, nothing has changed, except that he can move freely now. He stands up and his legs wobble under his weight. He hasn’t stood up in days and his feet are numb. He wiggles his fingers like he can’t quite believe he’s actually free of his movements for the first time since he was kidnapped from his home. He paces around the room. It’s small so it’s not much of an exercise but after sitting down for four days straight he’d rather not stay still. So he walks. And he thinks. It was obvious he had aimed accurately concerning Ten and an eventual history he might have with his dad. He wouldn’t have reacted this way if there wasn’t anything to talk about. But what could be so bad that it would bring so much anger in his eyes every time? What could his father have done? Taeyong doesn’t know him. Not really anyways. They’ve never been close. It was always Taeyong and his mother, they were inseparable, he  _ adored _ her and his brother, Minjun. His father was never here. Always busy and when he wasn’t he didn’t have time for Taeyong of course. Minjun was five years younger than Taeyong, so he always figured it was normal for him to get more attention. But it was almost as if Taeyong didn’t exist for his father. And then things got worse one after another… 

Taeyong chases the painful memories away, shaking his head. He doesn’t want to think about this now. He keeps walking, trying to think about happy memories instead. He thinks about his mum and his brother and how they used to have so much fun together. And he waits for Ten to come back. Because he always comes back. 

 

◇◆◇

 

The boss’s office is once again one of the busiest room in the building and it’s starting to slightly annoy Taeil. It used to be a calm space where he could work but now it’s always full of people and he never gets a break. It’s his fault though, he’s the one asking them to come here, but he has to do his job and send everyone on mission especially at this busy and precarious time. Taeil has taken time to talk with Johnny to figure out what the next move should be. And as both of them expected, they had the same ideas and plans. They didn’t want to start a war just now. It would be careless. They needed to think of every little detail first to ensure them a victory over their enemy. For that, Taeil had asked Jaehyun and Doyoung to come into his office. Both of the men were sitting in front of his desk, in the armchairs, not looking at each other. Taeil sighs. He knows that their relationship is not the easiest in the gang. Everyone knows there is  _ something _ between them but for some reason, they made it their goal to drive the other crazy and jealous. And Jaehyun was the best at it. Doyoung was the best at getting angry on the other hand. Taeil knows it’s a risky move to send them both on a mission together but he doesn’t really have a choice anyway, and he doesn’t doubt their professionalism. Doyoung worked on pretty much everything in the gang, drug dealing, murder, intimidation, whatever they needed at the moment, he could do it. And Jaehyun, well Jaehyun was their man when they needed anything from the police or any powerful business. His dad was a very rich and important CEO in South Korea and he could pretty much get everything from him. He would pay cautions or corrupt people. His father thinks he is loyal to him but his true loyalty lies with the Eye of the Dragon and he has no idea that he actually is a double agent. 

 

“What’s up boss?” Doyoung says, throwing his legs over the desk and lighting a cigarette. 

 

Taeil can’t say he isn’t exasperated by Doyoung’s attitude but the boy has always been like that and it’s just something they have to deal with. Taeil notices how Jaehyun’s eyes roll towards the ceiling, clearly showing how annoyed he is. 

 

“I’m going to go straight to the point. I need you two on a mission together.”

 

The reaction is immediate and it consists of a lot of screaming and protesting and Taeil is already tired of it. They’re not even yelling at Taeil for putting them together but somehow at each other for whatever they have to blame the other for. 

 

“I can’t go on a mission with someone that sleeps with everyone he meets!” the jealous and angry Doyoung screams. 

 

“At least I get laid. Not like a certain someone I know.” Jaehyun retorts, his chin held high not even bothering to look at Doyoung. 

 

“Fu-”

 

“STOP” Taeil interrupts them, his voice loud, clear and authoritative it makes them stop quarreling in no time. 

 

“You two will go on a mission together, I will not repeat it again. I need you, Jaehyun, to question the police. We know the Seven Stars have an accomplice in the police department and we  _ need _ to figure out who this is. I thought you would be the best for the job.” Taeil explains. 

 

Jaehyun nods in understanding. He looks very calm and focused. 

 

“Yes, of course, I can do it. But why does _ he _ need to be here?”, he emphasizes the “he” with a face of fake disgust in the direction of Doyoung, sitting in the armchair to his right. 

 

Before Doyoung can say anything, Taeil continues with his explanations. 

 

“He needs to be here because he will be the one…. Taking care of the guy once you find him. You bring it to him and Doyoung will… do what he needs to do. I absolutely need you two on this, we have to succeed this is not to be taken lightly.”

 

Doyoung and Jaehyun look at each other for a long while and Taeil doesn’t even try to understand all the implicit in their eyes. They eventually turn back to him and nod. They will do it.

 

Less than two hours later, the two men are in a black car borrowed in the garage, driving towards the central police station of Busan. The music is turned on loud so it will prevent them from talking (read: fighting). Doyoung is driving, and as everything that he does it’s careless, they’re driving fast and almost running twelve red lights. His window is open and his arm, holding his third cigarette since the meeting, is thrown on the car door, occasionally bringing the cigarette to his lips. Jaehyun, on the passenger seat, has his window open too, he loves the way the wind hits his face with the speed of the car. He’s dressed in a silk white shirt, an expensive looking suit jacket and just as expensive black, well-fitted pants. He has always shown a particular interest in fashion because his appearance is one of the most important things for him but also because of the way it helps him flaunt his money. The 5 000 000 won watch on his wrists being a further proof that he can wear anyone’s whole bank account just on his wrists or feet or anything for that matter. 

Doyoung turns the music down which makes Jaehyun turn towards him, surprised.  _ Was he going to make conversation _ ? They hadn’t properly talked since…

 

“We need to talk about that night,” Doyoung starts, staring straight ahead at the road. 

 

“What is there to talk about? We had sex and what about it? It’s not a big deal,” Jaehyun answers, trying to keep his tone light and casual. 

 

“It is to me” Doyoung says harshly. 

 

“I’m not your property Doyoung. I don’t belong to you because we had sex  _ one _ time. Yes, it was fun, 10/10 would bang again but that’s it. Nothing more, I’m not yours.”

 

“I know you’re not. But fucking hell Jaehyun I see what you’re doing, being a hoe and giving your ass to anyone just to make me jealous that’s fucking bullshit and it shows that you do care but you don’t want to admit it!” Doyoung explodes. 

 

Jaehyun clenches his jaw at the harsh words. Doyoung and he had always been around each other and flirting until one day, drunk and high, they had sex. And since that day their relationship had descended into sexual tension and jealousy and maybe just maybe Jaehyun was doing all of this on purpose but hell that didn’t mean he had  _ feelings _ for him. 

 

“Fuck off, the world doesn't revolve around you and I “give my ass” to whoever I fucking want to because guess what? It’s  _ my _ body,” Jaehyun snaps back at him. “We’re here.”

 

The conversation is cut off by the arrival to the Busan Police Department Agency. When the guards see them pulling into the driveway they instantly gesture for them to come in, recognizing who Jaehyun is. He slips into his role easily, walking with his chin held up high, the perfect picture of the snobbish aristocrat. When he enters the police station, he walks with a determined pace straight toward the office of the chief of police. Doyoung follows, walking quickly to keep up with Jaehyun’s large strides. When they enter the office it’s almost like the chief had been expecting them. Whenever something big happened in the city, a few days later Jaehyun was always coming to get information on that. If he suspected anything, he never said. Jaehyun settles in an armchair in front of the chief of police’s desk and starts unconsciously playing with his watch, a thing he always does when he’s acting. 

 

“Hello chief,” Jaehyun starts, and the man in front of him nods “My father sent me to gather information about what happened at the Seomyeon nightclub the other night. You see my dad was planning to buy this club, so it’s really unfortunate what happened there,” Jaehyun throws a newspaper on the desk, the front picture showing the state of the nightclub after the attack of the Seven Stars but the article never once mentioning the name. 

 

The chief takes it in his hands, and he doesn’t need to really because, of course, he knows about it, but his eyes still browse the article quickly then back at Jaehyun. 

 

“What do you want to know?” he asks. 

 

“Well for starters I would like to talk with the officer that was in charge of this whole case. I need to know exactly what happened, how, and how much it will cost to fix the damages. The article said it was an accident right? I need to know what caused it so my father can take care of it and so it doesn’t happen again once it’s ours.”

 

Doyoung stared at Jaehyun the whole time he did his little speech to the chief of police. He sounds very convincing and his voice is so stable and calm Doyoung would almost fall for his lies if he didn’t know better. The chief looks at Jaehyun for a long time without saying anything and Doyoung worries their plan is going to fail. But Jaehyun never fails. 

 

“Sure. I will take you to Junmyeon’s office, he’s the one who was in charge of the case.” 

 

Junmyeon’s office is in the other building but it takes them no more than five minutes to reach it. It’s a shared office with another policeman but fortunately, he isn’t working on that day. Which leaves Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Junmyeon alone together after the chief of police introduced them to each other. Junmyeon looks nervous and he can’t stop playing with the pens on his desk.  

 

“S-so, what did you want to know?” Junmyeon asks Jaehyun, trying to sound casual. 

 

Jaehyun doesn’t break character for even a second. 

 

“I need you to walk me through the case. I want to go to Seomyeon, I need all the details.” 

 

Junmyeon gulps. But nods anyway, because what choice does he have? The chief gave his orders and he cannot straight up refuse something to Jung Jaehyun. Less than thirty minutes later, they’ve reached the nightclub and Junmyeon is bullshitting a story about how part of the ceiling collapsed and it killed the people that were at the bar. Jaehyun nods and pretends to be interested in whatever he’s making up and Doyoung, on the other hand, is pacing around the room waiting for the right moment. 

Waiting isn't Doyoung’s forte, he gets tired of it quickly and while Junmyeon is pointing at the ceiling, the exact part that has supposedly collapsed by “accident”, Doyoung shoots a bullet through his skull. Jaehyun screams in surprise. 

 

“Oh my god Doyoung you could have warned me”

 

“So much for the element of surprise if I did” 

 

Jaehyung smiles in spite of himself while Doyoung works to carry the body through the back door to get rid of it. Doyoung’s trademark is burning the bodies of his victims so he always carries everything he needs for it, oil and matches so the body is unrecognizable once he’s done with it. 

 

“You can say whatever you want but we make a great team,” Doyoung says to Jaehyun as they both watch the flames slowly licking at the corpse. And Jaehyun can’t say anything against that. 

 

◇◆◇

 

As expected, on the next day Ten is back. At this point, Taeyong doesn’t know if it’s because he was ordered to convince him to join them or if he just personally needs to do it. With every meeting, Ten’s voice gets softer, his arguments get more caring as he gets to know Taeyong more. Soon it’s no longer a question of Taeyong being useful to them but rather a question of  _ you deserve better _ . 

Over the days they spend together they tell each other bits and pieces of their lives, their past, their secrets, in the heart of the small detention room that will coddle and protect their stories.

Taeyong learns about everything his father has done. All the terrible things his workers have suffered. He realizes how badly he has treated him during his childhood. Especially after the accident. And with every day that goes by, getting him closer to the deadline of the ransom, Taeyong learns to hate his father. 

One day he decides to open up to Ten. He doesn’t really know what pushes him to do so but he does. He feels like he can trust him. And the only other person in the world that has ever given him that safe feeling was his mother. He tells him about the things he never thought he’d ever talk about again. He tells him about his mother first. How she was always there, always smiling. Always the best person in his life. She raised him almost on her own because his father was _ so _ busy . Then there was cancer. It took everything from her. And from Taeyong too. It took her hair. Her strength. Her life. But until the very end, it never managed to take her smile. And Taeyong will always remember how bright it was. He was twelve years old when it happened. And his little brother Minjun was seven. She made Taeyong promise to take care of him. Now that he thinks about it, she probably didn’t trust their father to do so. Taeyong promised, of course. Not really realizing what it meant. What kind of a responsibility this was for a twelve-year-old. Minjun was a good kid. Taeyong adored him. And their father adored him too. Sometimes Taeyong wondered if he was aware he had two sons, and not just one. 

Taeyong stops talking for a moment, trying not to let the tears flow from his eyes. He looks up at the ceiling in a desperate attempt. Ten, sitting across from him on the floor, like he did countless of times, takes his hand in his and squeezes it lightly. Reassuring him. Encouraging him. 

Taeyong wants to stop talking. He doesn’t want to reveal what he did. He doesn’t want Ten to see him differently. He doesn’t want to see that look in Ten’s eyes turn to disgust. But he has gone so far already. The words are stuck in his throat like they can’t come out. They’ve been pushed down too many times. He has never talked about this. He has had no one to confide in. Yet here he was, revealing his deepest secrets to an almost stranger who kidnapped him only a week ago. 

Ten doesn’t force him. He just keeps holding his hand and waits. He doesn’t say anything. Taeyong is pretty sure if he backed off now, Ten wouldn’t even mind. But he has to do it. So he starts talking again. He tells him about his little brother this time. How after their mother’s death he kept his promise. He raised him, took care of him. Played with him. Took him on walks, to the movies. Prepared his food, helped with his homework. Held him when he cried. He did everything a parent should do. And never once did his father thank him for it. 

Minjun was twelve years old when it happened. Taeyong was driving him back from school on a Wednesday afternoon. He was a bit distracted because it was a friend’s birthday soon and the group chat was going crazy trying to organize something. He just wanted to check his messages quickly, he didn’t know he was making the most careless and most terrible decision of his life. 

He didn’t see the truck hit the car. But he did feel the shock. It felt like all his bones were breaking at once. The car rolled over, once, twice. Taeyong had no idea how he survived it. He was unconscious, he woke up four days later in the hospital. Very much alive and in pain. The doctors said he would be fine. He asked about his brother as soon as he opened his eyes. 

Minjun hadn’t made it. He died on the spot. 

Taeyong is still talking but it’s getting hard now, he can barely see with the tears blurring his vision and running down his cheeks. His words die in his throat as he recalls the pain. Way worse than any physical wound. The news knocked the air out of his chest and it felt like the whole world was crumbling down. He couldn’t breathe. For days he didn’t eat. He wanted to let himself die. Somehow his body decided otherwise, and he survived. But the wound inside his heart never healed. 

Never once had his father went to see him at the hospital. After the accident, he blamed Minjun’s death on Taeyong. Which wasn’t completely wrong anyway. He stopped talking to him, he stopped caring, if he ever really did. Taeyong spent days, months, years, hating himself. Wondering why he didn’t die on that day. And sometimes he still wonders. 

 

“I killed him Ten…” Taeyong breathes out, bursting out crying. 

 

Ten is still holding his hand. Or rather, Taeyong is holding onto Ten’s hand, squeezing it so tightly it hurts but Ten lets him do it. 

 

“No Taeyong you didn’t. It was an accident. At worst the truck driver killed him. You might not have been able to avoid it had you been focused on the road anyways. Don’t blame yourself” Ten answers calmly, his tone sympathetic. 

 

“How can I not blame myself? I should have just died with him.” Taeyong sobs. 

 

Ten untangles Taeyong’s hand from his and shuffles closer to him. He takes him in his arms, rubbing his back with a tenderness he didn’t know he had in him. He hadn’t hugged anyone in years. Taeyong stills at first, shocked by Ten’s actions, then buries his head in the crook of his neck. And he cries again. And again. 

 

“For what it’s worth, I am glad you’re alive,” Ten says almost inaudibly. 

 

Taeyong doesn’t have the time to answer that the metal door slams open and a man he has never seen before enters the room. He looks panicked and in a hurry. Ten lets Taeyong go as soon as he sees him.

 

“Ten! I’ve been looking for you everywhere, I need you RIGHT NOW,” by the tone that he uses, leaving no questions to be asked, Taeyong assumes he is the one in charge.

 

Ten is on his feet in a fraction of a second and he follows the boss outside leaving Taeyong alone once again. In the corridor, Ten has to jog to catch up to Taeil’s strides. He leads him to the garage where Yuta and Winwin are already here, all geared up and ready to go. 

 

“What’s going on?” 

 

“The Seven Stars took Haechan hostage. They’re holding him at the abandoned warehouse at the frontier of Suyeong and Haeundae, you have to go rescue him now.” Taeil explains, speaking quickly. 

 

As he fills Ten in on the situation, Yuta and Winwin have taken place in the car, Yuta on the driver’s seat and Winwin passenger. Ten joins them, sitting in the back and before they take off for their rescue mission Ten has a doubt. 

 

“Have you considered this might be a trap?” Ten asks Taeil. 

 

Taeil’s face darkens. Of course, he considered it. In all honesty, it is most likely a trap. He was in his office earlier when he got the call from one of the members of the Seven Stars, he told him exactly where they were and who they had taken hostage. They made Haechan say something to prove it. But they didn’t ask for anything, no ransom no condition, nothing. It ticked Taeil off. But what choice did he have? Haechan is barely eighteen, he’s just a kid he can’t abandon him out there. They have to try. 

 

“We have to rescue him. You’re my best soldiers, I know you will make it.” 

 

And with that, Yuta is driving out off the garage and into the city, the sunlight blinding Ten after not leaving the headquarters for three days. Yuta isn’t what you would call a careful driver so Ten ends up fearing for his life three or four times but at least it has the perk of being fast and they reach their destination in no time.

The building is a big old abandoned warehouse that was used by a textile company that went bankrupt years ago. It’s been completely emptied but you can still find here and there old torn out boxes and some random dirty pieces of clothing. They decide to enter by the main entrance since the Seven Stars is expecting them anyway. Haechan is in the middle of the room, a man holding him by his neck, a gun on his temple. Besides the man threatening Haechan, Ten is surprised, or rather suspicious, to find out that there are only a handful of gang members. Five, he counts. Winwin gives him a confused look and Ten makes him understand to stay alert. There are probably more of them hiding somewhere. 

Haechan’s fishnets that he always wears under his black skinny ripped jeans are all torn in some places and his knees and knuckles are bloody. Ten chuckles, he must have put up a good fight before getting captured, he is pretty sure he didn’t let them have it easy. Ten’s eyes travel up Haechan’s body, trying to figure out if they hurt him. He is beaten up but he will be okay. Ten notices the tattoo on his neck and suddenly everything makes sense. That’s how they found him. 

Every member of the Eye of the Dragon has a black tattoo made out of tribal lines that when put together form a dragon eye. It is their mark, the sign that they all belong and are faithful to the gang. All of them have it on different spots of their bodies but Haechan chose the side of his neck. It is usually not noticeable for the general eye as it is almost hidden by his leather jacket but the Seven Stars knew what to look for. 

 

“Give him back” Yuta says loudly to the man holding Haechan. They’re still at the entrance of the room but they won’t come closer. They know it’s a trap, they don’t know yet how they will make it out but keeping their distance seems like a good plan for now. 

 

The man has a smirk and he releases Haechan, throwing him on the ground in front of him. Winwin is quick to get his gun out and puts a bullet through the man’s head just as he was about to fire on Haechan. Yuta, of course, had expected it and he was ready before anyone even registered what happened. He fires on the rest of the members as they are aiming at them as well, and Ten rolls over to avoid their bullets. Haechan runs towards them, half bent over trying to not get shot in the mess of the battle. Before Ten can even get his knife out at least a dozen other gang members jump down from their hiding spots in the second floor. Yuta and Winwin have already taken care of the five members that were in the center of the room but the ones that just showed up are prepared. They’re all firing and Yuta even has to fight one on one with a gigantic colossus. Haechan is able to take down one of their men with a well-placed knife cut in the calf but Ten can see that they’re overpowered and there is no way they can win this. The only way is to run away. They have Haechan, their mission is complete already. Winwin and Yuta seem to have understood that as well because they give each other a knowing look. And that look gives just the time for Yuta’s opponent to punch him violently in the face. Yuta falls on the ground and the colossus picks him up and restrains him. Winwin screams and he runs to help Yuta but he has five opponents in front of him and if he isn’t careful he will end up killing himself. Ten runs to him, stabbing and cutting his way through. He catches Winwin in his arms and screams for him to stop. 

 

“You have to run!” Yuta screams over the noise “Just go! I will be fine, just run!” 

 

Winwin’s eyes are red and he’s crying with anger and fighting and punching so much that Ten thinks if this keeps going he will end up killing them all. The colossus gives no signs of wanting to kill Yuta. Whatever their plan is, he thinks they need him alive. Haechan,  who found a gun on a corpse is firing at their opponents, desperately trying to buy some time for Ten to find a solution.

The men have emptied their guns and a bullet ends up in Haechan’s right leg, the pain is excruciating but he still holds on to his position. The men are approaching slowly, knives in hands, ready to kill. Ten need to be  _ quick _ . He throws a look at Yuta and he understands. He doesn’t care what happens to him, he just wants Winwin to be safe. Ten nods slightly to him. And he knocks Winwin out with the handle of his gun. And then he runs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiii ! sorry for the long delay between this chapter and the last one, everything is so crazy lately, i'm moving to the us in three days..   
> Its gonna be a bit long before the next chapter too because I start working soon but I will do my best and work hard to deliver it to you asap 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless i'd love to hear your thoughts about it :D Thank you for all the support and comments i've received so far it really means so so much to me


	6. - loss and win

Winwin’s eyes open suddenly. The first thing he looks for is Yuta.  _ Please let him be okay _ . His eyes scan the room but there is no sign of him or anyone. He’s in his bedroom back at the headquarters and everything is plunged in darkness, he can barely see the end of his bed. He throws his legs over the bed and stands up, ready to go rescue Yuta, and that’s when he hears it. A small plead, like someone crying quickly turning into choking noises. Winwin stills at the door. Not looking back just yet. No one could be in there. It wasn’t possible. He turns the light on and slowly turns around, cautious, his hand reaching for his knife in his holster but he freezes when he realizes who is making those noises. 

Yuta is in the back of his room, a man with a hooded face lifting him off the ground and choking him. Yuta is desperately trying to untangle the hands from his neck but it’s all in vain, the man’s grip is too strong, Yuta turns pale and his arms fall limply on the side of his body. 

 

“Please, h-help” his voice comes out small and strangled “Why did you leave, please plea-” the words die in his throat, his trachea completely constricted by the man’s grip. 

 

Winwin finds himself frozen in place, unable to react or even move in the slightest. It feels like his legs are so heavy. The man disappears, leaving Yuta’s lifeless body falling to the ground, the eyes still open in an expression of terror. And the only thing Winwin can do is scream. Scream so loud that his throat burns. 

 

He wakes up in the back of the car, in cold sweat, his nails digging into the soft leather of the seat and his face is tear-stricken. Haechan and Ten, sitting in the front of the car were obviously startled by his cry. The car is going fast through the streets of the city and Winwin notices the worried look Ten throws at Haechan and how his driving gets faster and faster. He doesn’t know what is wrong with them and he doesn’t care. He can’t leave Yuta with their enemies. They will hurt him and he can’t, in any lifetime, allow something like this to happen. Ever since they were kids they’ve always been together. Never spent even a day away from each other. They promised they’d protect each other. And Yuta had always protected him. He cannot let him down. 

 

“Turn this car around right now Ten. We’re not leaving Yuta there” Winwin says, his voice trying to sound calm and controlled. 

 

“No” Ten replies simply, keeping his eyes on the road. 

 

Winwin’s fists clench. He will turn the car around himself if he has to but he needs to save Yuta. He throws himself forward, reaching out for the wheel and Haechan who noticed his move tries to stop him. They struggle together and the car slowly drifts toward the other side of the road. Ten brings it back with force and pushes Winwin back on his seat violently. 

 

“Ok listen to me!” he yells “This is not about you! Haechan is hurt we have to get him to Renjun  _ right now _ . You’re being careless! They already have Yuta there’s nothing we can do for now! We’re not abandoning him, we’re going to get him back but we need a plan. And we need you. There’s no use if we lose you both so please stop acting like that!”

 

Winwin sinks back into his seat, his gaze lost on the buildings that pass outside the window, all blurry, a mess of colors. It’s okay if he can’t do it now. He will go rescue Yuta. With or without their help. 

 

The rest of the car ride happens without any other incident. Winwin seems to have calmed down. Or at least that’s what Ten thought. They pull into the garage and Ten gets out quickly, opening the door for Haechan and helping him extract himself from the car. His jeans are tainted with blood and so is the car seat. Ten tries not to panic but losing this much blood can never be good. He has to hurry. He half carries him on his shoulder and tells Winwin to enter the building first. He’d rather keep an eye on him. Once they’re inside, Winwin doesn’t follow them to Renjun’s lab, instead, he walks fast towards the dormitories and Ten hopes he stays in his room and doesn’t try anything stupid. 

Their pace is slow, Haechan winces with every step they take and they reach the lab with difficulty. Inside, Renjun is in an animated discussion with Doyoung and Jaehyun. Their faces turn to panic when they realize the state Haechan is in. Renjun doesn’t lose a second and slips on clean surgical gloves and runs to help Ten carry Haechan to the operation table. 

 

“Everyone out!” he yells. 

 

Haechan is sweating, he is pale and his body temperature has dropped too much for Renjun to be confident right now. He keeps his cool though and rips Haechan’s jeans so he has a clear view of the wound in his thigh. It really isn’t pretty to see. 

It’s a good thing Renjun is a genius. He grew up in a family of scientists and surgeons, at sixteen years old he had already completed medical school. Now this was maybe a bit out of his league but he had extracted bullets from wounds before, his only problem was the blood loss. He only has two blood bags that are Haechan’s blood type and he isn’t sure it would be enough for the transfusion. 

Haechan is so weak he can barely keep his eyes open, it breaks Renjun’s heart to see him like this.

 

“Hey buddy, stay with me don't fall asleep,” he says, lightly tapping his cheek. 

 

He doesn't have time for an anesthesia so he hopes Haechan will hold on. He takes his surgical pliers, a deep breath. And gets to work. 

 

Outside, in the corridor, Ten waits anxiously. It was his fault if Haechan was hurt. He’s the eldest, he should have protected them. He should have taken a decision faster. He sighs and starts pacing in front of the room under the confused looks of Doyoung and Jaehyun, leaning on the wall next to the door. Jaehyun turns his head towards the side of the corridor, curious. Doyoung follows him soon. Quick steps can be heard approaching their position but Ten doesn’t realize it until he is faced with a breathless Taeil. He came as soon as he heard the news. 

 

“What happened Ten? You have to tell me everything now” he says, slightly panicked. 

 

“We got Haechan back but he was shot in the leg during the altercation, I brought him straight to Renjun’s, he’s taking care of him right now.”

 

“Good, where are Winwin and Yuta?” Taeil asks, looking around. 

 

Ten takes a deep breath, ready to break the news to Taeil. 

 

“Winwin is in his room, I think. And Yuta… he…” he doesn’t know how to word it. Now that the adrenaline has disappeared, the guilt is taking over. He is now realizing the consequences of his actions. 

“Oh my god, ” Taeil sucks in a breath. 

 

“No! No, he isn’t dead. He’s… they took him.” Ten says quickly. 

 

“How did that happen? Why? What benefit would it bring them to kidnap one of our members?” Taeil asks, and the questions are mostly to himself but Ten answers them anyways. 

 

“I-I don’t know, it was a trap, just like we figured. They were way more than we could deal with. They overpowered us so quickly we knew we had to run but I don’t know how it happened, one of them got Yuta. He didn’t even try to kill him it’s like it was their plan all along to kidnap one of us. It seemed fairly easy to escape after that. I left him there. I felt I had to protect Winwin and Haechan first but…” 

 

“You did what you had to do Ten. We’ll get Yuta back. Don’t feel guilty. We’re gang members, Yuta knows as well as we do the risks of our jobs,” Taeil says firmly. 

 

Ten looks at him for a long time and sometimes he remembers why he’s the one in charge. He has everything of a boss. The authority, the reassurance, the confidence. Ten learns so much from him every day. 

 

“Erm, not to interrupt but I think we might have an idea why they kidnapped Yuta” Jaehyun intervenes from behind Taeil. 

 

Taeil and Ten turn to them, a questioning look on their faces. Doyoung is the one to explain what they found out on their mission. 

 

“Earlier we took care of that cop that worked for the Seven Stars. That bastard. I burned him real good. Can’t even recognize him anymore.” Jaehyun elbows him “Right, um well we got his phone before we burned the body, we asked Jeno to hack it when we came back and we found out the Seven Stars knows about some sort of new drug we have apparently managed to develop. I think they’re looking to steal it from us and put it on the market before we do” 

 

Taeil closes his eyes upon hearing the story. He looks… annoyed. He rubs his temples a few times and then faces Doyoung again. 

 

“How did they know about that?” he inquires. 

 

“See that’s the funny thing,” Jaehyun starts “We have no idea, we didn’t even know about it. And we just talked with Renjun before Ten arrived, since he’s the one who developed it, and he assured me he hadn’t told anyone else. But you apparently had a meeting with someone who might be interested in spreading it, we think that might be it. Honestly, I don’t know how the word got out but one thing is sure they don’t have a lot of intel on the drug and they most likely kidnapped Yuta so he would give them information”

 

Taeil sighs. Of course. This makes perfect sense. But Yuta doesn’t know anything. Barely anyone of the members knows about it, Taeil thought it would be too dangerous and expose them too much. He was right of course but it didn’t spare Yuta anyways. Now he is in their hands and probably being tortured to give information on something he knows nothing about. Taeil’s heart aches when he thinks about it. They have to plan a rescue mission as soon as possible. 

Only Renjun, Taeil and Johnny knew about the drug in the Eye of the Dragon, and as Jaehyun had pointed out the dealer they met up with to talk about possible new networks and distribution of the drug. He had sworn to secrecy. If he has broken his vow, Taeil promises he will kill him himself. 

 

◇◆◇

 

A week has passed already since they contacted Lee about his son. Seven days and still no word from him. No changing his mind. Ten isn’t surprised, it would have actually shocked him more if Lee had acted like an actual human being and paid the ransom. But a small part of his heart actually hoped it would happen. Not for Lee. Not for the money. But for Taeyong. He deserved to have people care about him. And if Lee wasn’t going to, then Ten would. Ten was going to go back in that room and convince him to join them. And he would care for him. And protect him. 

When he enters the room, Ten finds Taeyong curled up in a corner of the room, sleeping on the hard floor. He looks so peaceful like he hasn’t slept that well in years yet Ten is pretty sure the floor isn’t that comfortable. He feels bad for having to wake him up. Besides, he loves watching him sleep. The way his chest rises slowly with his regular breathing, the way his eyelashes flutter, how his hair looks messy and tangled, and how his expression is soft and it’s like all the hurt, all the pain that he’s been through has disappeared. Ten wishes he could stay this peaceful forever. But reality is harsh. And Ten has to wake him up and see the weight of the world fall on his shoulders again. Ten shakes him lightly awake, whispering his name and Taeyong’s eyes flutter open. He stays a long time like that, still half asleep, observing Ten’s face. He reaches out with his hand to the side of Ten’s cheek and this snaps Ten out of his daydreaming. He dodges it and stands up, taking a few steps backward. All of this was new to Ten. All these.. Feelings. He’s never felt like that before, he’s never been interested to feel like that before. But Taeyong awakened something in him and he doesn’t think there’s any way to make it dormant again. It’s burning inside of him, eating him alive and he thinks if he doesn’t do something about it soon he will  _ die _ . The way Taeyong smiles softly at him feels like knives piercing his abdomen but he would endure the pain for a lifetime if it meant Taeyong would keep smiling. 

Ten watches Taeyong get up on his feet and he strokes his neck, trying to figure out a way to tell him. Tell him that, yeah his father has decided to leave him here to die. In the end, Ten knows there is no right way to say it, no subtle way. Nothing to make it less hurtful. So Ten decides to be honest and straightforward just like he has been the past week. Ten can’t believe he has started to open up to someone. Especially someone he barely knows. But he did, he did talk to Taeyong about his life, just casual memories, nothing too deep, but it’s already more than with anyone he knows. He’s usually more of a listener. And he did listen to Taeyong. And held him when he cried. But he had told him things too, it was only fair to him. And for the first time in a long long time, Ten felt like someone actually cared. 

 

“Hey” Ten starts faced with Taeyong's expectant expression “Your father didn’t pay,” he can see the way Taeyong’s face darkens and he sees the exact moment his heart drops. He wishes he could take all the pain away. “I’m sorry. I know you're tired of me asking you but… Please Taeyong. Join us.”

 

Taeyong opens his mouth to answer but Ten cuts him off. 

 

“Let me explain. I've told you stories about your father times and times again. You know how he is by now. You know he's no good for you. He abandoned you. We could be your new family. People here will care for you. And maybe someday, you will have your revenge on him. But please, Taeyong, please join us. I don't- I don't want them to hurt you. If you don't join they might-” 

 

“Okay,” Taeyong says, loudly, cutting him off.

 

Ten freezes. He wonders if he heard wrong. 

 

“Wait… Okay?” 

 

Taeyong smiles and nods. _ Okay _ . 

 

“I’ve given it a lot of thought in the past few days. I’ve had a lot of time to think. And rethink. At first, I just wanted to let myself die. You would have killed me and everything would have happened the way my father wanted. No one would have missed me. But then I thought,  _ to hell with him _ . I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of everything going his way. I’m going to keep bothering him for a long time. Besides, I lost the two people I’ve only ever cared for. Now the only person that… is special to me, is in this gang.” Taeyong says with a fixed gaze “I want to join.” 

 

Ten almost chokes on air when he hears the last words Taeyong utters. He’s hoped, he’s waited for days for him to say those words and now it’s like it doesn’t feel real. He was optimistic about it, he noticed the way Taeyong opened up more and more and he saw him understand the truth about his father. But now that Taeyong had finally said the words, Ten had troubles believing it. For years Taeil had asked him to take people with him and care for them and train them but every single time he had refused. He liked being alone, he liked working alone. But he thought that, maybe, for Taeyong, he’d do an exception. 

 

“Are you… are you sure?” Ten asks, his eyes wide. 

 

Taeyong chuckles, Ten looks like a fish out of water with his surprised expression. 

 

“Yeah I am,” he answers “So, when does training start?” 

 

◇◆◇

 

The night has already fallen for an hour when Yukhei decides to go take a walk. He can’t bear the heavy atmosphere in his room anymore. He has been doing his utmost to avoid seeing Jungwoo and it has tired him out. He doesn’t want to face him. He knows himself, he will just become mushy and forgive everything but just this once, Yukhei wants Jungwoo to understand. He wants him to take the first step. So he does his best to avoid him, he hasn’t gone to the training room in days. He knows Taeil is going to reprimand him about it but he doesn’t really care. It’s not like he needs training anymore, he’s strong, he’s skilled, he’s learned everything he could from Jungwoo. Now he just waits for a suitable mission.

A mission that might come earlier than he expects. 

The headquarters are all quiet when Yukhei leaves his room that night. No one is roaming around the corridor like they usually do. He hears faint voices coming from Taeil’s office when he passes by. There seem to be a few people in there in a serious discussion. Lately, everything has been very serious and heavy. Like something big is coming and no one really knows how to deal with it. Yukhei wonders if Jungwoo is in there too. Then he shakes his head and keeps walking fast. He wants to go outside. Walk around the neighborhood for a while. Get some fresh air. Clear his head.

When he is about to turn around the corridor, he notices Winwin, heading to the front door. Now, this shouldn’t be surprising or odd. But Winwin is in full fighting gear. And he’s alone. Yukhei has never seen Winwin go on a mission alone. Ever. No one ever leaves through the front door either when going on a mission. Everything about this seems too strange to him. Thankfully he's quick to react and he runs to his room, grab his bag and decides against all good judgment to go warn Jungwoo. Even though their relationship stands on a confusing spot at the moment, Yukhei doesn't have anyone else to turn to. He slams the door to Jungwoo’s room open. 

 

“Come with me! It's important” he yells before running back to catch up on Winwin but still keep a safe distance. 

 

He knows Jungwoo will come. In fact, he can already hear his fast steps behind him. When he catches up to Yukhei, he opens his mouth to talk but Yukhei shushes him. Winwin has already left through the front door, they can't lose a single minute. 

 

“Why are we following him?” Jungwoo whispers as they follow Winwin through the streets. They can barely see anything in the night, so Yukhei doesn’t let his eyes trail away from Winwin. 

 

“Don’t you find anything odd? Why is he alone? Where is Yuta? Why is he in fighting gear? Taeil would never ever, send anyone that isn’t Ten alone on a mission. Especially Winwin. I just have a bad feeling about this, I felt we should check on him.” 

 

Jungwoo nods. He doesn’t really know what to say to him. He still feels awkward, Yukhei and him hadn’t talked in days. And now they had to pretend like everything was okay. Jungwoo feels a rush of affection for the boy, for how caring he appears to be, even though he barely ever talked with Winwin before, he wants to help and keep an eye on him. Jungwoo loves this about him. He loves how he’s always so ready to help. He’s always here for everyone, he’s reliable and a good friend. Jungwoo feels bad for not opening up to him last time. He feels bad for not being honest with him. Yukhei was right about everything. He hadn’t been fair to him. He wants to take this opportunity of them being together to tell him. To apologize. Of course, Jungwoo is bad at finding out when the timing is right for this type of discussion. Just when he is about to say something, Yukhei forestalls him. 

 

“Wait, doesn’t this club belong to the Seven Stars? What is he doing?” Yukhei whispers worriedly. 

 

Jungwoo takes his eyes of Yukhei to look towards where Winwin is. Yukhei is right. Winwin keeps walking with a determined pace to the neon lit up club on the other side of the road. Jungwoo didn’t realize they walked so much to find themselves into their territory. The Revel club had always belonged to the Seven Stars and the Eye of the Dragon had never done anything to try and claim it. Winwin heading to this club made absolutely no sense. Jungwoo, too, was starting to think something was really wrong. They stop outside and give Winwin some time to enter before following him inside the dark corridor of the entrance. When they finally reach the main room, flashing lights and loud music making them wince, Winwin is standing in the middle, his guns out, pointing on each side of him. Jungwoo almost screams for him to stop but Yukhei places his hand on his mouth. He gestures for him to follow him and they hide in a dark corner of the room, watching the scene unfold, ready to intervene if needed. If they jumped in carelessly right now, they might be killed, the three of them.

Winwin’s guns out on display earned him a few screams from normal customers but most of the people in there are gang members and soon, Winwin is circled by at least twenty guns pointed at his face. It doesn’t even make him flinch. He stands his ground, his arms still stretched out on each side of him, his hands holding his guns steadily. 

Next to Yukhei, Jungwoo starts stressing out. His hands cling to Yukhei’s shirt. 

 

“Oh my god we have to do something, they’re going to kill him oh my god what can we do”

 

Yukhei’s mind is racing. Jungwoo is right, if they don’t act right now, Winwin will be dead in a minute. He brings his bag down from his shoulder and rummages through its content. He grabbed it without really thinking when they left the headquarters but he really hopes there is something in there he can use. Knives, rope, ammunition, his favorite brass-knuckles, and some smoke grenades. Yukhei grabs a grenade just as an idea sparks in his mind. They can’t fight that many opponents, not the three of them. They have to find another way. And the grenade might just be what they’re looking for. Without even warning Jungwoo, Yukhei jumps outside their hiding spot, pulls the pin out of one of the grenades and throws it in the middle of the confrontation, right where Winwin is standing; The white smoke spreads so fast and thick, no one can see anything besides faint silhouettes. Yukhei hides his mouth and nose in his hoodie and takes Jungwoo by the arm to guide him. The smoke manages to scatter the crowd. Yukhei pushes the coughing people out of the way and walks towards where Winwin stood a minute ago. He is still here, surprised by the smoke, trying to point his guns everywhere. Yukhei finds him as the smoke is already starting to disappear. They don’t have much time left. Jungwoo and him grab Winwin by both of his arms, knocking his guns out of his hands and carrying him towards the exit. They are only able to carry Winwin and run with him outside since he was weakened by the smoke entering his system. He’s still trying to resist and get back inside the club but Yukhei is stronger than him and keeps dragging him away. When they get far away enough from the nightclub, Yukhei throws Winwin on the ground, in a  pile of garbage that softens his fall. 

 

“What the FUCK do you think you’re doing?” he screams at him “You could’ve gotten KILLED in there! And us with you!” 

 

Winwin blinks a few times and coughs. He looks up at Jungwoo and Yukhei, not really registering what they’re doing here. 

 

“Why did you follow me?” Winwin asks, puzzled. 

 

“Because we wanted to check up on you,” Yukhei says simply “Now we’re going to bring you back to Taeil and he will decide what to do with you.” 

 

◇◆◇

 

It is busy in Taeil’s office that night. People have been entering and leaving all day. Now Doyoung and Jaehyun have just left to find the only suspect that might have said anything about the drug and make him talk. Renjun is here, to inform him that Haechan is fine, but he will need time to recover. Johnny is here too because he’s always here. And Ten just opened the door, expecting to find Taeil alone in his office. Taeil gestures for him to come in. He seems out of breath like he’s been running to get here so Taeil is a bit worried about what brings him here. Out of everything he could have said, the words that leave his mouth are nothing Taeil could have expected. 

 

“Taeyong will join us,” he says at once. 

 

All the eyes in the room turn to him. Taeil’s jaw drops. He had almost forgotten about Lee’s son and what he promised Ten if he could convince him to join them. But Taeil thought he would never succeed. Now he stood there, with the promise he made heavy on his heart and his doubts and insecurities still clouding his mind. He cannot trust Taeyong. The possibility of him just acting like a victim, and finally joining them only to sell them to his father later on doesn’t want to leave his head. But he promised Ten. He promised to give him a chance and he never once broke his promises to his members. 

It’s almost like Ten can feel Taeil’s internal turmoil. Like he can read his mind racing, doubting. 

 

“Taeil,” Ten starts, his voice stable and confident “I will be responsible for him. I swear. We need him. You know it just as well as I do. With Yuta gone, Haechan injured and Winwin’s state... We need all the help we can get.” 

 

Taeil doesn’t answer right away. He sits down behind the desk and exchanges a look with Johnny, who just shrugs “ _ It’s up to you _ ”, his look says. Taeil sighs. Ten has a point, he knows it. They’re not a big gang, there are only seventeen of them after all and some of them he cannot send on head-on missions. Especially on the verge of war with the enemy gang, they need all the help they can get. 

 

“Will you really take care of his training?” Taeil asks. 

 

“Yes, I promise. I’ll do my best to teach him everything” Ten nods.    
  


“Right. You have a week to train him. After that, he needs to be ready for missions” Taeil decides “And if he tries anything to betray us, we will kill him.” 

 

Taeil knows he sounds harsh. A week is way too short to train someone, but he doesn’t have a choice. He can’t leave Yuta with the enemies for too long. Besides, he knows the Seven Stars are planning something, and they don’t have the luxury of time before that something happens. Ten nods in understanding, and leaves the room immediately, probably to start with training Taeyong. 

  
  


The week passes by faster than Ten would have liked. He spends every day with Taeyong in the training room, barely taking any breaks. He works out with him in the early mornings. He fights with him, teaches him tricks and the right way to overpower someone in a one on one. Taeyong is eager to learn, he never once complains about the intense rhythm. He knows he’s walking on thin ice with the boss so he complies with everything thrown at him. Ten also teaches him how to use different types of weapons and how to be accurate with a gun and throwing knives. He teaches him everything he can in the small period of time they have. And Taeyong enjoys every minute of it. Thankfully he has always been a fast learner so he manages to remember and apply everything Ten has taught him easily. 

In the rare breaks that they get, they spend time talking together. And for the first time since they met, Ten is the one doing most of the talking. He tells him about the gang, about what they do, who they are, who is in charge of what. He tells him that he joined four years ago but his face darkens when he mentions it so Taeyong doesn’t dare ask anything more. 

 

After about a week, Taeil receives a call. What he feared would happen, has already begun.  

 

◇◆◇

 

The 7Luck casino is the most renowned of Busan. It is a big square building that stands tall and proud in the middle of the city. At night it is lit up with flashy neons and attracts a huge crowd of customers, all rushing in to test their luck and gamble. 

In South Korea, Korean people aren't allowed to gamble in casinos so the customers here are mainly foreigners as well as some Koreans that like to ignore the law. The Eye of the Dragon gained control of it a few years ago and it is by far their most prized possession. Many times had there been attacks from people trying to steal it from them. All in vain. The Eye had appointed Qian Kun at the head of it. Since he is a Chinese member of the gang, he can be in charge in all legality. Kun had entered the gang some years ago as well. Ever since he was young he had been passionate about gambling, as soon as he turned eighteen he started playing in casinos and he was  _ so good _ , he ended up in trouble with some Chinese gang he won a lot of money from. They had rights to be angry though. Kun over the years had mastered many many ways to cheat which made him a master gambler. He knew he had no future in China, with half of the gangs here trying to kill him so he fled to Korea. His wandering led him to play in the 7Luck casino. Of course, it didn’t take long before the Eye of the Dragon heard about him. The young man that beat all the best players in the casino. They thought they could use him, so he joined them. 

It is a fairly casual night at the casino that day. Nothing out of the ordinary. The customers are enjoying themselves in the public spaces, playing roulette, poker, blackjack. Losing money but still smiling and laughing like nothing really matters as long as they're having fun. While the more professional gamblers face off in the private rooms. Here the bets are higher. The competition is stronger. The atmosphere is heavier. Everyone is focused, a lot is at stake. Money and reputation. No one can imagine losing. Here, Kun is having a casual game of Texas Hold ‘Em with a few of the regulars that come every night. They know they don't stand a chance against Kun but somehow they always come back and they always try again. As if tonight will be different. 

Kun doesn't work alone of course. His second in command at the casino, Jaemin, takes care of the public spaces and makes sure there is no excess. He walks around in a black suit, black bow tie, his brown hair styled back, a black in-ear keeping him in constant contact with Kun. Sometimes he sits at the bar, orders a drink and scans the room with a look, making sure no one is about to disturb the atmosphere of the casino. He is exactly there that night, seated, his arms resting on the bar behind him, watching people play and enjoying themselves until something happens. The double door of the entrance slams open in front of a group of men wearing black suits and ties. Jaemin immediately spots the seven black stars tattoo that decorates their necks and the next second his hand is on his mic. 

 

“Kun, the Seven Stars are here” 

 

He doesn't wait for an answer. He knows Kun will be there in a minute. He takes a deep breath and walks towards the men confidently. He has to pretend everything is normal for the customers. But he knows the Seven Stars don't want to make a scene either so everything will stay civil, at least while they're in the lobby. 

 

“Hello gentlemen,” he says, approaching them “Is there anything I can do for you?” 

 

The fake smile painted on his face could fool anyone. Except, of course, the men he's addressing. They smile. The same smile. 

 

“We would like to speak with the Dark Ace.”

 

The Dark Ace was Kun’s nickname in the gambling world. Everyone knew him under that name. His favorite cards were the two black aces and you could be sure he would always manage to win with one of them. Barely anyone here knew his actual name except Jaemin. 

The Seven Stars men don't have to wait long to see their wish granted since a few seconds later, Kun walks into the lobby, dressed in his usual deep purple suit, a silk scarf around his neck, his white dress shirt unbuttoned at the top. He looks unbothered and casual. When he turns around to greet some clients with a large smile the men can notice the gang tattoo adorning his nape under a few strands of brown hair. Their eyes narrow and it is easy to understand they didn't come to negotiate. 

 

“We came to take this casino,” the first man says. 

 

He's standing in front of the others, his look is authoritative and determined. Kun just laughs in his face. 

 

“Why don't we settle this with a poker game?” he offers, smiling slyly “If you win, we will give it to you.”

 

Kun looks so sure of himself but the man just cannot refuse a challenge. So he accepts. And of course, he thinks they'll win no matter what. After all, it's five of them against one right? Before leading the group of men towards the private rooms, Kun leans to Jaemin and whispers to him. 

 

“Warn the Boss, we might need backup”

 

Jaemin nods and disappears from the lobby. The men follow Kun through the carpeted fancy corridors into the more quiet part of the casino. They pass in front of rooms where they can see people playing different kinds of game and the atmosphere seems tenser than it was in the lobby. Less laughter and less talking. More focus. Kun opens a door at the very end of the corridor and gestures for them to enter first. They all settle around the table in the middle of the room. There isn’t much except for the beautiful varnished wood table and chairs around it. The fake smile Kun displays never leaves his face even when the door closes behind him and the men. 

 

“So, gentlemen, what game do you fancy playing?” he asks. 

 

“What about a Lowball Ace-to-6 Low? Aces low, straights and flushes count. What do you say?” the man says immediately, he had thought about it prior to the meeting it’s obvious. 

 

Kun tries to not let the bitterness show on his face. The man knew about him. He knew he loved to play with both aces. And especially with high aces. Here they would be counted as low cards. The aim of the game is to win with the lowest hand in contrast with usual poker. Kun would have liked to win with his usual aces but he is confident anyways. He knows how to shuffle. He knows the vague order in which the cards will be dealt. But of course,  _ they _ don’t know about it. He smiles at them again.

 

“Sure,” he says. 

 

He grabs a deck of cards sitting on the table and gives it an experienced shuffle. Then he deals them. The men all take the five cards in front of them in their hands and look at each other, and at Kun studying the expressions. Kun’s face remains blank. His hand is fine. Two three, a two, an ace of spade, and an eight. He knows he has to get rid of some cards to make sure he wins this round. With the shuffle he made earlier, he is pretty sure he has the best hand right now and if he manages to get rid of his pair he will definitely win. The betting starts pretty high but everyone knows the real bet is so much more than money. They’re playing for the casino. For the first draw, Kun gets rid of one of his three. He draws a six instead. Perfect. Everything was going according to plan. Two of the Seven Stars men folded after this round. Kun has a small smirk, he wasn’t nice to them. They probably had flushes or high pairs. Kun exchanges another card. The first draws were exactly what he needed thanks to his shuffle but now it’s all down to gambling. He knows it’s a risky move but he _ is  _ a gambler and the rush of the game makes him risk it all. He gets rid of his eight and draws. When he sees the ace of club joining the ace of spade in his hand he contains a laugh. His favorite pair. He always wins with this. He knows this makes him at risk because if anyone at the table has a hand which contains no pair or flush or straight he’s done for, but somehow, just knowing he has his two favorite cards in hand fills him with infallible confidence. 

The room is filled with a heavy tension when the time for reveal comes. Everyone shows their highest card first. Kun puts down his six and watches the other cards on the table. One of the men puts down a jack, another a seven and the last one a nine. They keep putting their cards down. One of the men has a pair of fives. Kun represses a smile. One down, two to go. Another one has a pair of deuces. Still not enough to beat Kun. The last man puts down a pair of red aces and Kun cannot stop the smile that blooms on his face. That was a very close game. He puts down his own pair of his favorite aces and says proudly. 

 

“It was a pleasure playing with you gentlemen” 

 

The men watch the cards Kun has put down on the table, then back at the one their leader has. Both of them with pairs of aces but Kun has lower cards to go with it. He wins by a three points margin. When they realize what this means, the five men all get up at once, pointing their guns at Kun. This was never meant to be a friendly game. They were never meant to lose. 

 

“Now now, you don’t want to do this” Kun says calmly.

 

The door slams open and five people enter, each behind every Seven Stars men, a gun on their heads. Jaemin, threatening the man closest to Kun, gives him a wink.  _ Thanks for being there in time _ Kun’s look seems to say. When he scans the room to see who has come, Kun recognizes Jungwoo, Yukhei, Doyoung and Ten. The last one red-haired boy he doesn’t know, he seems to be new with the way he throws nervous glances at Ten and how he holds his gun with two hands to keep himself from shaking. The Seven Stars men look around each other only to realize they are surrounded. This time,  _ just this time _ , The Eye had the upper hand. The leader lowers his gun and the rest of the men follow him. 

 

“This isn’t over,” he says, walking away, without looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiiiiiii  
> sorry for such long wait aaaa i feel bad for leaving you on such a cliffhanger in chapter 5   
> i hope you enjoy this chapter! I really liked writing it! <3 
> 
> do you think Yuta will be okay? how are they gonna handle winwin's situation? do you think ten can manage to train taeyong in a week?


	7. - truth

It’s a little after midnight. The night is quiet. The silence feels almost too heavy. There’s a small opening in the corner of the room, a small crack in the wall that lets the cold air of the night pass through. It’s the only thing that tells Yuta about the passing of time. The only thing that tells him there is still a world outside. That night eventually ends. Yuta’s eyes are open. He can’t sleep. Even exhaustion can’t seem to get the better of him. The absence of light makes it hard for him to see further than a meter in front of him. He knows what the room looks like though. He has had plenty of time to observe and notice every single detail. He’s in a sort of big empty warehouse, similar to the one he was kidnapped from already a week ago. At this point he doesn't know if anyone will come to rescue him. But he wants to have faith in them. If no one else, then he has faith in Winwin. The room is cold at night and Yuta’s torn shirt doesn’t cover much. There is no way for him to get any warmth at all. The men made sure he would not be able to escape so they tied his arms up to the ceiling. A low ceiling, sure, but high enough so that Yuta’s arms are constantly strained. These bastards. He’s been here for too long, took too many hits now his hands are just dangling from the handcuffs. He’s not trying to hold himself up anymore. 

When he swallows, he can feel the metallic taste of blood from the cut in his lower lip. He must be in a terrible state. Every day the Seven Stars men would come and ask him questions and would beat him up and torture him when he would stay quiet. And Yuta would never give anything away, even under torture, but it was infuriating how he had no idea what they were talking about. And he was still beaten up. Today, however, no one had come to question him yet. He thinks they might leave him alone for one day. Oh, how he was wrong. 

Yuta wonders if Winwin is okay. He knows Ten made sure he makes it out alive. But now he was alone. Since they were six years old, Yuta and Winwin had never known what it was like to be alone. They had forgotten the meaning of it. They knew one another more than they knew anyone else. He knew what Winwin was thinking before he himself even does. And even now. Miles away. Yuta knows how he feels. He feels lost. He feels like he might go crazy. He feels restless. He need to do something. Yuta knows. He’s known Winwin long enough. But that’s not all. He knows because he feels the same. And when Winwin is away it’s like a part of his soul is gone too. 

The large metal door creaks open and at least a dozen men enter the room. Yuta sighs. His hope that they would leave him alone was short-lived. They’re all dressed in nice suits and they’re wearing nice ties. It’s a dumb thing to notice in Yuta’s situation but he can’t help but wonder where they just came from. Usually the people that come to torture him are dressed casually or in combat gear. This is new. 

It frustrates Yuta so much to know that there is a lot happening outside yet he’s not aware of anything. He doesn’t know if his friends are okay. He doesn’t know if the gang is holding on. He wants to be out there, he wants to fight alongside them. Yuta didn’t look up at the men that have now taken place, circling around him. He just noticed the way they drag something on the floor. A strange muffled sound. Wood on cement. Yuta tilts his head. They must be pretty angry if they’re planning to hit him with these bats. 

He looks up at them and gives them his best smug look. 

 

“Oh hey, what’s up guys?” 

 

“I’m gonna kick that shit-eating grin off your face you fucking piece of sh-” one of the man yells, raising his bat and Yuta closes his eyes ready to take the blow. 

 

But nothing comes. The man in the middle, the leader if Yuta is following this well. Has stop the swinging of the man’s arm without even looking. 

 

“Stop. Let me explain our little friend here why we’re here,” he says, his voice calm and composed and not in the slightest affected by Yuta’s smirk. “You see,” he starts, dragging out the words, stroking Yuta’s cheek with his wooden bat. 

 

Yuta swallows with difficulty, trying not to let his fear show on his face. A blow with this object, directly to his face… He doesn’t want to think about his chances of survival. 

 

“We paid a visit to that little casino of yours.” 

 

“You went to the 7Luck?” Yuta can’t help the question that burst through his lips. 

 

It was stupid really. After being here a week he should have known better than to interrupt the man with a wooden bat but what can he say, he’s impulsive. The blow hits harder than he thought it would. A powerful blow to his side. The pain feels like burning. But he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t cry, he doesn’t yell, he just takes it. 

 

“As I was saying,” the man continues with a smile “We paid them a little visit. They offered that we play a game and bet the casino. It would appear we were defeated. Your little friends, they won, but they’re about to lose so much more than a game. And it starts with… You.” 

 

Yuta knows whatever is going to happen from there cannot be good. But he probably doesn’t expect what happens. All the men that encircled him start swinging their bats all at once and the blows Yuta receive take his breath away. The strength of them is so powerful it feels like all the bones in his body breaking at the same time. It’s unbearable. He can’t stop himself from screaming so loud he can feel his throat hurt as they keep hitting him all together. Tears flow from his eyes as he feels his body breaking from the violence of the hits. Now he understand what they meant. They’re going to kill him. 

  
  


◇◆◇

 

Taeil has had _ a lot _ to deal with in the past few days so when Yukhei and Jungwoo come into his office late that night, dragging Winwin behind them, he just sighs. For one minute he thought he might have some rest, maybe sit down and close his eyes for a second. Johnny had just left after they talked for a while with Doyoung and Jaehyun and tried to figure out their next move. He had just sat down when they burst through the door, visibly angry. Taeil cannot hide his surprise when they throw Winwin in a chair in front of his desk with the least care in the world.

 

“What happened?” Taeil asks, ready for another night of staying up trying to figure out a solution for whatever problem they’re bringing.

 

Jungwoo remains quiet even though Taeil expected to hear from him, he’s the mentor after all. Yukhei starts talking loudly.

 

“Okay, listen, I was just going for a nice little night walk when I see this guy” he points at Winwin “all geared up, guns and everything on display, leaving through the front door. Man, I told myself, this can’t be right, so me and ‘Woo follow him and where do we end up finding him? In a Seven Stars nightclub! His guns out in the middle of the fucking dance floor! A minute more and he was as good as dead.”

 

Yukhei is almost out of breath when he finishes his angry tirade. Taeil doesn’t want to believe him at first. Winwin is one of his most trusted soldiers but why would Yukhei and Jungwoo make up something like that? It is true Winwin had been pretty shaken up by Yuta’s kidnapping but Taeil had never thought it would get this bad. 

 

“Why did you do this Winwin?” Taeil asks, his voice tainted with worry. 

 

Winwin locks eyes with him but he remains silent and his gaze fixed on Taeil is heavy. Like he’s blaming him for what happened. 

 

“Listen, I’m really sorry for what happened with Yuta I am. And I swear to you we’re going to get him back, we will,” Taeil continues. 

 

“No. You don’t care about him, or you would have already sent someone for him. You would have let me go rescue him,” Winwin opens his mouth for the first time since he entered the room. 

 

Taeil sighs. He can see it in Winwin’s eyes. How much he’s hurting. How much he misses him. And it’s true that Taeil cannot in a million years understand the relationship that these two have. But as a leader, as the one responsible for all of them, he can’t just send Winwin alone to rescue Yuta. It’s too rushed and irresponsible and dangerous. Taeil just cannot risk it. 

 

“Listen, you know it’s not possible yet, it’s too dangerous, they will be expecting us. And there’s so much going on right now I don’t have many people available to go with you. Just lay low for a while, please. We’ll go rescue him as soon as we can I promise you Winwin.”

 

“No you won’t. He risked his life to rescue Haechan. We all did and you’re just not gonna do the same for him? That’s fucking bullshit. If you won’t, then  _ I  _ will. I don’t need any of you,” Winwin answers harshly, the anger obvious in his voice. 

 

“Clearly you do. You would have died tonight without us bro,” Yukhei intervenes. 

 

Jungwoo keeps silent, standing in a corner of the room with Yukhei watching the scene unfold between Winwin and their boss. Winwin glares at him and faces Taeil again. 

 

“I don’t care what you say, I won’t stop trying to go save him and there is nothing you can do to stop me” 

 

Taeil looks at Winwin with a sad look. He understands his pain. And he swears he didn’t want it to come to this, but he doesn’t have a choice. If Winwin is not going to follow orders he’s too dangerous. He can’t let him run free around and risk his life and risk the whole gang in this war. He shakes his head slowly. 

 

“I’m sorry Winwin,” Taeil says softly. 

 

Winwin’s expression turns to confusion and back to anger when Taeil gesture for Jungwoo and Yukhei to restrain him. He fights backs and try to kick them. Winwin is strong and smart and they have a hard time restraining him but eventually they manage to get him to the detention room. Winwin screams at them, he curses, he kicks, he even cries. But the heavy metal door still closes mercilessly in front of him, leaving him alone in the room, screaming. 

 

“I hate all of you!” he yells before falling on his knees crying in his hands. 

 

Taeil stands in front of the door and his eyes are incredibly sad. He hates it. He doesn’t want to make him go through this but he doesn’t have a choice. He’s doing it for his own good. And he tries to convince himself it’s the best decision he could take. For the gang. And for Winwin. But something inside that looks too much like guilt starts eating him up. 

 

Whenever someone passes by the detention room, they can hear the screams and the banging on the door. For a week he stays in there. Jeno is the one in charge of bringing him food, and keeping him company. He tries to reassure him, calm him. He tells him they’re working on a plan to rescue Yuta. And it’s not a lie, but it’s more complicated than Jeno lets on. Winwin barely eats what he’s given. Every single time Jeno brings back an almost full plate, no matter how much he insists and tries to make him eat, he just won’t. Winwin has lost a lot of weight and he probably hasn’t slept in a while because the bags under his eyes are so dark. Jeno can witness him slowly losing his mind and for the first time ever, he doubts that Taeil’s decision was the right thing to do. 

 

◇◆◇

 

A week after Winwin finds himself locked up, the Seven Stars choose to act. They couldn’t have chosen a worse moment. Haechan is still slowly recovering and Renjun advises him not to be sent on mission for at least another two weeks. Yuta is in their hands. Winwin… is unable to participate in the mission. And Doyoung and Jaehyun are already away trying to find the guy that sold the intel about the drug. When Johnny comes into Taeil’s office that night to inform him that armed Seven Stars men are threatening customers in one of their private nightclubs, he sighs. As he’s been doing a lot the last few days. He never imagined being the boss of one of the most powerful gangs in South Korea would be such a tiring job, but that was his mistake. And he was starting to regret accepting this position after the death of the previous boss. 

 

“Okay,” is all he can answer to the news. 

 

He gets up from his armchair, meaning to go send Ten take care of the situation. He doesn’t expect it when he feels strong arms wrap around him and hold him tightly and Johnny’s hand in his hair, incredibly soft. Taeil is frozen in place, he doesn’t know what to do or say. But Johnny doesn’t expect him to say anything. 

 

“You’re so brave, you’re doing so well Taeil, remember you’re not alone in this, you have me. And everyone else,” Johnny whispers in Taeil’s ear. 

 

The words warms his heart and without even realizing it, his own arms wrap around Johnny’s waist and he buries his head in the crook of his neck. 

 

“Thank you”

 

It’s barely above a whisper but it makes Johnny smile. They stay like that for a long time, and Taeil is the first one to break the hug. He has to send Ten on mission. And Johnny knows. 

 

“Go ahead,” he says with a sweet smile “I’ll wait for you.” 

  
  


Taeil finds Ten in the training room with Taeyong. He has been spending all his days here trying to fully train Taeyong in the short period of time that Taeil had given him. Taeyong does an awkward bow when he notices Taeil enter the room. Ten just gives him a nod. Taeil knows they didn’t have a long time to train but he wants to test if Ten has managed to do well. But most of all, he wants to test Taeyong. He wants to know if they can trust him.

 

“Ten. You need to go right now,” he starts.

 

Ten’s whole body reacts to the news, like he has been trained for it. And he has. Everytime that he hears he needs to go on mission it’s as if all his senses awake. He is more alert. More on his guard. He doesn’t have time to ask that Taeil is already explaining to him. Speaking fast. 

 

“Seven Stars again. They were quiet for a while but now they’re back and threatening customers at the Club Kudeta. You know how important these customers are we need to go protect them right now.” 

 

Ten nods, makes his guns circle in his hands before sliding them inside of his holsters. He throws his bag over his shoulder but Taeil stops him, grabbing his arm as he is about to leave. 

 

“Bring him with you,” he says gesturing in Taeyong’s direction. 

 

His eyes widen. He knows he’s been trained relentlessly for a whole week and Ten has been more than thorough with his training and with teaching him every single thing he would need to know. But he still felt it was too early. He didn’t feel like he as ready to go out there and kill people. Ten is about to protest but the look Taeil gives him offers no alternative. 

 

“Okay, Taeyong get your weapons ready we’re leaving,” Ten says. 

 

They’re almost at the door now and Taeil finally allows himself to breathe but soon, the quick steps of someone running can be heard in the corridor and Taeil prepares for whoever this is. Although he  _ knows _ . Ten and Taeyong also turn around, curious. A blonde disheveled teenage boy comes running in, breathless. 

 

“Good” he breathes out “I’m glad I caught you on time,” he says, trying to steady his breathing. 

 

“Jisung…” Taeil starts

 

“Hyung!” Jisung cuts him off “I want to go on this mission too please! I’ve been training for longer than this guy” he says pointing at Taeyong. 

 

Taeyong does his best not to feel offended. The kid is right, he’s just a newbie. 

 

“We’ve talked about this already Jisung. I don't want you to go on a mission until you’re at least eighteen. You’re too young right now, you could get hurt,” Taeil says very softly. 

 

Jisung’s anger is barely concealed. They all notice the way his hands are tightened into fists and how his eyes are filled with tears but he’s holding them in. 

 

“Hyung.. Please.. You don’t understand… I don’t want to just sit there and let them threaten everything I love. I need to do something,” his voice cracks on the last words, finally letting his tears flow from his eyes. 

 

Taeil walks up to him and takes him in his arms, caressing his soft blonde hair and telling him he’s sorry. He’s so sorry. _ I will fix this, everything will be okay _ . Taeil knows everything that Jisung has been through. Because he was there with him every step of the way. He was there when their mother would drink her life away. He was there when she would beat them up. He was there when his father wasn’t, always away on some business trip. He was there when Jisung and him could only count on each other. He was there when his parents had wanted to send him away after he caused some troubles at school. He was there to hear Jisung’s screams and cries, begging them not to take his brother away. He was the one who went to Jisung’s room that night and packed his bags and left the house with him, never looking back. He was eighteen back then, Jisung was only eleven. He had taken him and brought him to the Eye of the Dragon after his best friend Johnny had told him they would always be welcomed here. Johnny’s father was a member back then. Taeil had accepted his offer but he had sworn to protect Jisung no matter what. He knew he was ruining any chance of a normal life for him by bringing him into the gang so he had sworn he would be happy, and never be hurt. For Jisung who had never had a family since he was born, the Eye had become the family he longed for. And Taeil knows how hard for him it is to see his loved ones struggle without being able to do anything. But he doesn’t want to break the promise he made to himself when he brought him in. He will not let anything happen to him. 

Taeil takes him by his shoulders softly and guides him back to his room, his arms stroking his back. 

  
  


Ten and Taeyong run to the car after the incident with Jisung. They have lost a considerable amount of time and they cannot afford to lose more. Taeyong holds on to his gun, gripping it tightly, his hands moist around the handle. The whole car ride, he tries to remember everything Ten has taught him but it’s all blurring and mixing together and he feels like he has forgotten everything. Ten can sense how nervous and agitated he is and the only thing that he can think of to reassure him is to put his hand on his thigh. It’s a little awkward and clumsy because Ten has never done something like this before but it makes Taeyong blush and stop fidgeting with his gun. Ten smiles and it makes Taeyong’s stomach turn to mush. Ten leaves his palm on Taeyong’s thigh until he pulls up into the parking lot of the Club Kudeta. 

Inside the very luxurious club, a dozen of Seven Stars men is threatening the bartender as well as some customers and firing on the chandeliers. The place looks a mess and the men in beautifully tailored suits and the ladies in pretty dresses and jewels are hiding behinds tables and screaming every time a bullet is fired. Ten does a quick calculation and he thinks they can handle twelve people together. He knows it’s Taeyong’s first mission but he completely trusts him, he has done exceptionally well during training for a beginner so he has no doubt this won’t be much of a challenge for him. He nods at him and whispers for him to get the four men on the left and Ten will take care of the eight others. The good thing is they haven’t noticed them coming in yet, they still have the element of surprise. Ten fires both of his guns and shoots two of the men in the back of their heads. They fall dead on the floor. After that, all hell breaks loose. Taeyong jumps behind a table to avoid being shot and Ten does a roll before firing again, killing some more men. How he manages not to get touched by the bullet is beyond Taeyong but he doesn’t have much time to worry about that, and he instead prefers to worry about his own safety. He dodges a bullet from a man in front of him, kicks the one on his right in the chest and fires at the two other men. In the heat of the action, Taeyong doesn’t realize what he did. It doesn’t dawn on him yet, how he has taken the life of a person. They deserved it, yes, but it is still new to Taeyong. And the easiness with which he pulled the trigger and killed those two men will always fascinate Ten. 

The men are all dead in under fifteen minutes and Ten has barely but a scratch on him. Taeyong helps a lady get up from behind a table when he hears a familiar voice call his name. 

 

“Taeyong? Is that you?” 

 

Taeyong freezes. Shivers down his spine. Not able to turn back. He knows that voice all too well. The anger that had been dormant, slowly growing and boiling inside of him awakens at the sound of the voice. 

 

“Dad.” he says, turning around to face the man that had given up on him and left him to die. 

 

◇◆◇

 

Yukhei was sitting on his bed, his head buried in his hands. The ticking of his alarm clock, only sound in the room, was going to make him go crazy if he didn’t  _ do _ something. It had been a week. A full week since the last time he talked to Jungwoo. He saw him a few times in the corridor. In the training room. In the dining hall. But he didn't have it in him to go confront him. He was starting to feel stupid for how he reacted. He shakes his head. It wasn’t stupid. His feelings are valid. But he knows there might have been a better way to make Jungwoo understand than to flip out on him and then ignore him for a week. He sighs loudly and as he is about to get up to walk in circle and try to figure out what to do, there’s a knock on his door. 

 

_ It’s Jungwoo _ . Jungwoo who has been like him, wondering what to do for days. Wondering where he went wrong and how to make it right. Regretting he ever hurt Yukhei’s feelings in the first place. He decided the best way would be to talk to him. Jungwoo, who’s usually so shy. Finally taking a step on his own. He is determined to make it right, he doesn’t want to lose his friend. 

 

When he opens the door, Yukhei’s face turns to surprise, his eyes widening for half a second before he regains his composure. Jungwoo doesn’t say anything at first, he just stands there and looks at him, trying to find the right words to say… anything. He just wants to say something. 

 

“Can I talk to you?” he ends up asking in a soft voice. 

 

Yukhei nods, lowering his head and stepping aside so Jungwoo can enter his room. His eyes travel around the small bedroom. His gaze stopping on the pictures above Yukhei’s bed for a second. He wonders why his face is up there. But he doesn’t question it any longer. He came here for a reason. Yukhei gestures towards his bed to invite him to sit down, and Jungwoo does. They both end up sitting there, next to each other, staring in front of them, in silence. After a while Yukhei starts speaking. 

 

“What did you come here to talk about?” Yukhei says, not able to bear the heavy silence anymore. 

 

Jungwoo clears his throat and decides to just go for it. He knows he can trust Yukhei. 

 

“When I was a kid, I was living alone with my mother. No sibling, no father. She was very sick. On top of that she would work a day job and a night job. She was always trying her best to make a living for both of us. But it wasn’t enough, it was never enough.” 

 

“Jungwoo you don’t have to-” Yukhei starts 

 

“I wanted to help her. I was ready to do anything to make her burden lighter. To take some off of her shoulders. So I did something I never thought I would ever do. I joined that gang I saw on the news. I looked for them everywhere. I would go out late at night, around nightclubs and in dark alleys, outside of casinos… I tried everything. Eventually, one night I ended up finding two of their members. I begged them. I begged for them to take me in. I didn’t know anything about gangs. I had no idea what to do. They just laughed at me. For a reason I didn’t understand at the time, they took me in. Now I guess they just thought I could be useful for them, I was a desperate innocent kid. They probably thought I was naive to think joining a gang could solve my problems and save my mother. And I was. Reality wasn’t as I thought. I didn’t become rich. What it made me though, was an outlaw. A bad guy. Something I never thought i would become. I spent all my time away from home. You have no idea how much I regret that” Jungwoo’s voice cracks but he breathes in and keeps going “I started with drug dealing. I made a bit of money but you know, it wasn’t enough. Doesn’t pay that well when you’re part of a gang. Then one day I… I was going to bring this money to my mum, to show her I could help pay for rent this month. When I arrived she…” 

 

Jungwoo is all choked up and it’s getting hard for him to talk now. Yukhei wants to say something, he wants to tell him it’s okay, he’s sorry he doesn’t have to tell him these things. But nothing comes out of his mouth. 

 

“I found her cold, dead on the kitchen floor. She had been dead for hours already. Sh-she died alone. I left her alone, I abandoned her for the last moments of her life. I abandoned her at the time she needed someone the most. I never went back to that house after that. I couldn’t. I decided to disappear for a while. I cut all ties with the gang. I saw some posters of the police searching for me, but they gave up pretty soon. No one was really searching for me anyways. I survived on the streets for a few months, as best as I could. It was the only way I could grieve. I had nowhere to go after that. So I found myself wandering back to the Eye of the Dragon. They welcomed me back like you welcome an old friend. By then Taeil had replaced the previous Boss. And he actually listened to me, and cared for me. And the Eye became my family. These people mean everything to me. And I know I’m not the only one.” 

 

Jungwoo stops speaking after his story. He takes short breaths. He wipes away the tears on his cheeks. Yukhei is still sitting there looking at him, not realizing how his hands automatically went to Jungwoo’s waist to comfort him. 

 

“I’m sorry I didn't tell you this before. I never thought… I never thought it would hurt you this bad that I don’t open up to you. But I don’t want to lose you,” Jungwoo adds. 

 

Yukhei finally gets a grip on reality and his eyes widen for the second time. He takes Jungwoo’s hand in his and the other boy looks up at him with confusion. 

 

“I’m so sorry Jungwoo. For reacting like that and making you feel forced to tell me. That’s not what I wanted. I just wanted you to trust me more. I wanted you to see me, for who I am. And my feelings,” Yukhei says. 

 

Jungwoo is about to answer but Yukhei cuts him off. 

 

“‘Woo? Can I kiss you?” 

 

Jungwoo looks taken aback, like he’s not sure he heard correctly. 

 

“W-what ?” 

 

“Can I kiss you?” Yukhei repeats not losing his confidence. 

 

“Oh erh-” Jungwoo says and he doesn’t know how to react or what to say because he has never expected that from Yukhei. 

 

Now that he knows what Yukhei actually feels for him, Jungwoo starts to put the pieces together. The longing looks. The fond smiles. All the things that he said. _ You don’t look at me like I look at you _ . It all made sense now. Jungwoo feels like he misunderstood all of it and now he feels the need to be anywhere but here. It’s not that he doesn’t love Yukhei, no he does. But not the same way that Yukhei loves him. He had never thought about it that way. And Jungwoo never imagined for a second that this was what he meant that day. 

 

“I- Yukhei I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it like that- I didn’t think this was what you wanted. I don’t… Like you this way,” Jungwoo eventually blurts out. 

 

Yukhei’s blood runs cold inside his veins. He had thought about getting rejected of course he did. But he never thought hearing Jungwoo say he doesn’t like him and seeing him run off of his room would hurt this bad. He can’t help the sobbing that take over his body when the door closes behind Jungwoo. He’s done it now. He’s really done it. He ruined everything between them. He scared him off. Jungwoo would never want to see him again after that. He had thought about this moment over and over. For some reason he thought that maybe, if he was lucky it would all go like in his fantasy and Jungwoo would kiss him back. But reality kicked in again and Yukhei was left here, alone on his single bed.

Yukhei just lies back bringing his knees to his chest and he let the tears flow out of his eyes. He lets the pain take over. 

 

◇◆◇

 

The place has gone silent. The screams of the people have died down. The tension in the room can be cut with a knife. Taeyong and his father spend a long time standing there, staring into each other’s eyes, waiting to see what the other is going to do. Taeyong is gripping his gun tightly with both of his hands. Lee has just gotten up from under the table he was hiding behind. He wipes the dust away from his expensive black pants. He looks confused. Curious. Like he didn’t expect to see his son  _ alive _ . Like he had already accepted the fact that he was dead, gone. It made Taeyong want to put a bullet through his head even more. But he knew he would never be able to do that. No matter how much he had grown to hate him he couldn’t bring himself to actually do it. A few steps behind Taeyong, Ten’s hand has reached for his gun immediately and he’s pointing it at Lee in case he tries anything. But what would he do? 

Ten’s hand is shaking holding the gun and it’s the first time it ever happened to him. The anger is blinding him he can’t see properly. Everything blurry. Would probably not be able to aim if he had wanted to. After so long he finally was in front of the man who ruined his life. Who ruined any sort of happiness he had. He wants to make him pay. For everything that he went through because of him. What angers him the most though is that Lee probably has no idea who he is. He probably doesn’t remember his father. He doesn’t care about the people that he hurts. To him everyone is less important than he is. Than his business. Than is money. And he proved that he hadn’t changed in six years when he gave up on Taeyong so he wouldn’t lose money. 

 

“You’re alive” Lee states, like he couldn’t find anything else to say. 

“Surprised? You thought you could get rid of me that easily?” Taeyong retorts. 

 

Lee is taken aback by the harsh tone and the cold words of his son. But Taeyong doesn’t care. He’s not going to stand there and stay quiet anymore. He isn’t going to let Lee or anyone for that matter treat him like he’s not worth anything. Behind him, Ten has a mix of pride and surprise on his face when he hears Taeyong stand up for himself and he half smiles. 

 

“N-no I never wanted to… I tried to pay but they said they already killed you I was-” Lee tries to defend himself. 

 

“Oh that would have been perfect for you wouldn’t it? I waited a week, Father. A whole week. Tied up, kidnapped. I believed in you. I believed you would save your son. I guess I thought you had a heart, now I know I was mistaken,” Taeyong’s words are sharp and piercing “Now if you’ll excuse me I have people waiting for me, who actually care,” he turns around. 

 

Lee is not ready to give up that easily and he screams at Taeyong. 

 

“Where are you going? With that gang? Are you serious Taeyong? They don’t care about you. They’re just using you. They’re gangsters, son, you’re so naive if you think they have any feelings at all” 

 

“As opposed to… you?” Taeyong has a clear laugh “Sorry dad. Your lies don’t get to me anymore. I’m better off with them. I’m never coming home.”

 

The words fall like a sentence. This time, Lee has no answer. Nothing to scream back. He’s baffled by how much his son has changed. How he won’t let himself be manipulated anymore. And he can yell as much as he wants that the gang is just using him, he recognizes that Taeyong has never been more free, more himself than he is in that very moment. 

Taeyong is walking away back to the car when he realizes Ten is not by his side. He hasn’t moved an inch. His hands still stretched in front of him, threatening Lee. Taeyong walks back to him, placing his hand on Ten’s arm. 

 

“Ten, come on, let’s go, he’s not worth it,” he half whispers. 

 

Ten’s whole body is trembling. He almost looks on the verge of crying. Taeyong doesn’t know what to do. His arms are so tense, his knuckles white from gripping the gun so tight. 

 

“I have to.. Shoot him,” Ten says between his teeth, his jaw clenched. 

 

“No Ten, please don’t. Listen to me, there are too many witnesses, you can’t kill him, they would put you in jail. We have been here too long, Ten come with me,” Taeyong speaks in a soft voice, pulling on Ten’s arm at the same time. 

For a moment, Ten doesn’t react. Then Taeyong can feel the tension in his arm slowly disappearing and after a few minutes he manages to drag him away from the club and back into the car.  

 

It’s only once they’re back into Ten’s room at the headquarters that Ten finally speaks to Taeyong. They’re sitting on the bed, looking at each other, Taeyong holding Ten’s hand like he’s been doing a lot recently. And Ten doesn’t try to avoid it anymore. 

 

“Why didn’t you let me kill him?” Ten asks, looking at Taeyong in the eyes. 

 

He doesn’t look angry, no, instead he looks… sad. Taeyong is about to answer when Ten starts speaking again and Taeyong doesn’t dare cut him off. 

 

“He deserved it. He deserved to die. After what he did to my father. After what he did to me…” as he’s speaking his eyes drift to the wall and it feels like he doesn’t even realize Taeyong is there, he’s just speaking to himself. 

 

“What did he do to you?” Taeyong asks, daring for the first time to ask the question that burned on the tip of his tongue. 

 

Ten’s head turns back to him and it’s like he finally understands that he’s not alone. But his expression doesn’t change. And he’s tired of keeping it to himself. For years and years he has carried that secret with him. Never daring open up to anyone about it. Thinking that if he didn’t talk about it, it would make it less real. It never did. It consumed him inside for years. And now he had finally found someone he trusted enough to tell his story to. Someone he knew wouldn’t judge him. As he took in a breath to talk, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He told his story at once. The words flowing out of his mouth like they had waited for so long to get out. 

He was sixteen when it happened. His father worked for LEECORP but he had borrowed money from them and they wouldn’t let him get away with it and kept adding to his debt, so much so that it became impossible for him to pay it back. He overworked himself to the point that it killed him trying to pay it off. Ten became an orphan at sixteen years-old with too much anger and thirst for revenge. Since he was an only son, his father’s debt weighed on him now. He didn’t have a job or any money whatsoever to pay. He spent a year living in the streets, eating out of dumpsters and sleeping in cardboard. He was never employed for long and the money would directly go to paying his debt. When he was seventeen a man saw him in the streets and offered him a good amount of money if he would have sex with him. Ten wanted to refuse. But he was at a point in his life where he couldn’t. He couldn’t refuse money. So he did it. And the man told him he should “make a business” out of it. Ten was disgusted. He threw up right after. He cried all night, squeezing the covers around him and just begging his dad to come back. And the next morning he got up and did it again. Sold his body for money. Sold his dignity and sanity for a chance to survive. The hands of the many men leaving bruises on his hips, marks around his neck and a dirty mix of blood and come running down his thighs. When he turned eighteen, an armed man came to his room one day and shot a bullet through the head of his client. Then headed back the way he came from. Ten didn’t have time to be disgusted by the blood that splashed all over him, on his bed, his clothes, his face; he saw in that man an escape, _ freedom _ . He ran to him and begged to come with him. That wherever he was going, whoever he worked for, he wanted to come. Ten disposed of the body on his own and at the request of the man, his condition to join, he slit the throats of the two bodyguards waiting for his client outside. That’s how he entered the gang. And disappeared from the world. 

When he stops speaking, the silence is heavy in the room. Taeyong blinks and tears fall from his eyes. He would kill his father himself for hurting Ten this bad. For making him go through  _ hell _ . But he thinks it isn’t the solution Ten needs. It won’t help him heal. 

 

“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry” Taeyong doesn’t know what else to say. 

 

“So why didn’t you let me kill him?” Ten reiterates. 

 

“There’s something I’ve learned fairly recently. From you. When I told you about my brother. And it’s that I shouldn’t let my guilt eat me up inside. It’s no different. Don’t let your anger consume you. Don’t let it shape you into someone that you’re not. Killing him won’t ease your pain, trust me. It’s not revenge that you need, it’s peace. I swear I will do whatever it takes for my father to get what he deserves. But not this way. We’ll make him rot in jail, I promise you,” Taeyong speaks slowly, his voice deep and serious.  

 

Again Taeyong’s hands grab Ten’s. The silvery haired boy doesn’t look up at him. He’s staring at his feet. 

 

“My point is, you can’t let your anger consume you. If you let it take control, you let it win. And everything we’re angry about, guilty about, it wins. We need to be better.” 

 

Ten finally looks up at him, his eyes shine with the artificial light of the room and the tears he’s been trying not to let out. Taeyong sucks in a breath. He looks ethereal. It’s the first time that Taeyong sees him let his guard down and be vulnerable and he just wants to protect him. Ten leans in, slowly, his eyes closing and Taeyong follows. And when their lips touch, it feels like everything finally makes sense. Ten’s lips are soft against his own and they’re moving slowly against each other. It’s soft and a bit clumsy when Ten deepens the kiss but it’s everything Taeyong has ever hoped for. And he wishes this moment would never end. His hands instinctively go up to cup Ten’s cheeks and bring him closer and they’re kissing and kissing and kissing like it’s their last day on earth. Taeyong’s hands travel up to Ten’s hair and he’s grabbing it and stroking it and the silvery strands feel soft under his fingers. They stop kissing to get some air and Taeyong giggles. 

 

“Thank you” Ten says with a smile, the first sincere, genuine smile that Taeyong has ever seen on him. 

 

Taeyong just laughs and brings Ten back to his lips, pushing on his nape. At this point Ten is almost lying above Taeyong, their legs tangled together and Ten’s arms supporting him. Taeyong’s hands slide down Ten’s chest and undo the buttons of his shirt slowly, one by one. When he removes it completely his fingers trace the lines of his abs softly. He notices Ten’s gang tattoo on his ribs on his left side and he brings his hands to draw the lines with his fingers. The question leaves his lips without he even realizes it. 

 

“Why here?” 

 

“It was the most painful spot. I thought the physical pain would appease the emotional damage” Ten says almost inaudibly. 

 

Taeyong’s expression turns sad again. He surprises Ten when he switches them over so that he’s the one above. He brings his lips down to Ten’s tattoo. And he kisses it. Once, twice, and again and again. Soft, butterfly kisses. He raises his head when he’s done to look at Ten. 

 

“I love you” he says simply. 

 

And Ten has never believed three simple words more than he believes these. He closes his eyes and he lets the tears he’s been holding fall from his eyes. He loves him too. He says it back. And he says it again and again. He can’t stop saying it. Because he’s in love. In love with the most wonderful person he has ever met in his life. And he never knew love felt this good. This beautiful. 

Taeyong smiles fondly and cuts his i love yous mumbling by kissing him again, sliding his tongue in his mouth and soon they get lost in each other. Exploring the other’s body and they let go of everything, revenge, anger, guilt. The only thing left is love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TAETEN NATION LET ME HEAR YOU !!!  
> So what do y’all think of this chapter?? A lot of things happening I know I know  
> Pls look forward to next chapter, three more to go before the end of this fic:(  
> I love you guys!


	8. - war

There’s a silhouette walking in the dark, in the humid streets of Busan. A determined pace. No hesitation in their steps. Their shadow grows bigger and bigger as they walk towards the only lamp post of the street. There’s a car parked at the end of it and a man half sitting casually on the hood. When he notices the silhouette walking towards him he gets up slowly and knocks three times on the tinted window of the passenger seat. 

The door opens and another man walks out of the car. He stands there, hands in his pockets, his back straight and chin up. He’s wearing a neat suit, well-fitted, black shiny shoes. It feels so out of place compared to the atmosphere of the street. The tags on the walls. The pushed over trash cans. 

The silhouette is only a few feet away now. Their pace doesn’t slow down at the sight of the man. They don’t seem intimidated. When they stop in front of him, they make their neck crack and just stand there. Waiting for the other to say something. 

The man smiles. It’s a cold smile. There is no warmth in it. No sign of friendliness. He could have spat on the ground it would have given off the same vibe. 

 

“Do you have it?” the man finally says. 

 

The other snorts. From there, the man can only see black hair styled back with a ton of hair gel. The rest of the person’s face is hidden in the shadows. He can’t make out any of his features. 

 

“Who do you take me for? Of course, I do,” a male voice answers. 

 

Then the mysterious man dives his hand in his pocket and retrieves a small plastic bag. He stretches his hand in front of him and displays the packet for the man in front of him. The latter observes it for a while then reaches to take it but the other closes his hand firmly. 

 

“Ttt-ttt the payment first,” he says. 

 

“You don’t lose sight of your interests do you?” the man says with a laugh. 

 

“Never. You should know that Sehun-ssi. How long have we been doing business together already?” 

 

Sehun smiles. The same cold smile. 

 

“Long enough,” he answers. 

 

With a quick movement, he gestures for his driver to go get the money. He comes back with a thin black suitcase and opens it to present the silhouette with the payment. Two million wons. When the man reaches to take his due, Sehun stops him. 

 

“That’s a lot of money, you know. Are you sure about this?” 

 

“This is nothing compared to what this” he points at the small plastic bag in his hand “is gonna bring you.” 

 

Sehun seems satisfied, with a nod of his head he allows the man to take the suitcase. In return, he throws the plastic bag and Sehun catches it with one hand. 

 

“What about Moon Taeil?” Sehun yells as the man is walking away, swaying the suitcase. 

 

The man has a laugh and turns around to answer. 

 

“They don’t suspect me, they think it's a random distribution guy. I swear he's eating in the palm of my hand. I wouldn’t worry about him.”

 

And he walks away. His laugh echoing in the silence of the night. Sehun watches him leave for a moment but then his attention is captivated by the little bag in his hand. The thin white powder inside of it moves hypnotizingly with the movement of his fingers. He can’t take his eyes off of it. This insignificant looking powder was going to make him the richest, most powerful man of South Korea. No one would be able to oppose him after that. No one. Not even these vermins of the Eye of the Dragon. He was going to exterminate them. And poor little Moon Taeil was going to watch them scream and burn. Sehun laughs. Taeil was never good at choosing his friends. Even back in high school. And the traitor inside his very gang was further proof of that. He would be the cause of his own downfall. 

 

◇◆◇

 

Johnny finds Taeil asleep on his desk that evening. His brown hair is falling in front of his eyes and softly move with the regular breaths coming from his nose. His hand is still barely holding the pen he was using just a moment ago and under him, maps and documents spread out on the desk. Messy. Johnny knows how hard Taeil works. He knows the burden he carries. He knows he hasn’t gotten any sleep in the last three days. He has been planning Yuta’s rescue. He wants to save him and let Winwin out as soon as he possibly can. Johnny can see how it’s destroying him, every time they walk by Winwin’s detention room and they can hear his pleads. Taeil always closes his eyes very tight, walks faster. And gets to work again. He needs to find a way. 

Johnny doesn’t want to wake him up. He seems so peaceful and vulnerable. And he deserves some sleep, he really does. Johnny’s hand replaces the few strands on hair fallen in front of Taeil’s face so he can see him better. His fingers softly trace the line of his jaw. Taeil twitches at that but he doesn’t seem to wake up. Johnny sighs, he hates doing that. He shakes Taeil awake softly. His hand on his shoulder. Taeil’s eyes flutter open and a smile bloom on his face when he notices who has woken him up. 

 

“Hi”, he says quietly. 

 

Johnny can’t help but smile at his cute sleepy face and his raspy voice. 

 

“Hey, I’m sorry to wake you up but I have news from Doyoung” 

 

Taeil’s face turns serious in a fraction of a second and Johnny wishes he could have let him be sleepy and smiley for just a little longer. 

 

“It’s not urgent, it’s okay, please you need your rest, you’re working too much,” Johnny says, worry in his voice, his hands cupping Taeil’s face gently. 

 

Taeil sighs. The guilt can be read on his face and in the tone of his voice and Johnny hates it. He hates the way his face saddens. He hates the way his shoulders drop and it feels like he’s bearing the weight of the sky on his back. He hates that there is nothing he can do to help him. 

 

“I haven’t been working enough you mean. Yuta’s been kept there for a whole week, for all we know he could be dead by now! And all because I didn’t act sooner!” Taeil ends up yelling, all the pressure and the stress dawning on him at once. 

 

He weakly punches Johnny in the chest repeatedly, desperately, but ends up his head against his suit, his tears wetting the material. Johnny stops his hands with his own, gripping him tightly and pulls him completely to his chest, wrapping his strong arms around him like he’s trying to protect him from the world. Taeil cries against him for a moment but he pulls back, his cheeks still wet, his eyes red. He looks at Johnny intensely. 

 

“Why do you keep being so nice? I keep messing up everything that I do, I’m the worst boss this gang has ever had-” 

 

“Shut up” Johnny cuts him off and it’s the first time Taeil has ever heard him speak so coldly to him “I will not just stand and listen to you bring yourself down. You might not be the most ambitious or bloodthirsty boss this gang has had but you are certainly the kindest. You’re the one that brought this gang together. You’re the one that made us a family. You’re always trying so hard to protect and care for all of us, on your own. And we’re all so grateful for that. You accepted Taeyong when he had nowhere else to go. You cared for Jungwoo when he came back after his mother’s death. You’ve offered Yukhei a place to stay even though he did nothing to prove his good faith, you just... put your trust in him. And that’s what makes you special Taeil. You believe in us. You  _ trust _ us.”

 

Johnny’s face is now inches away from Taeil’s as he finishes his last words. Their lips are almost touching now and Taeil’s heart is beating so fast. Too fast. Then Johnny’s phone rings and he immediately backs off to take the call. Taeil just stands there, still moved by the words Johnny said and the intimate moment they just shared. He quickly understands, by the nervousness in Johnny’s voice and his worried expression that their moment has been cut short. 

 

“What happened?” Taeil asks as soon as he hangs up the phone. 

 

“The Seven Stars decided to go all out. They’re attacking three different nightclubs” Johnny explains. 

 

“What? Why?” 

 

“They know our biggest weakness is our number, and they know for a fact that we have a few… incapacitated soldiers. They’re trying to divide us to destroy us,” Johnny says with a sad voice. 

 

Taeil doesn’t answer. He’s too busy trying to think how to do this. Who should he send? Three different nightclubs? Doyoung is away on a mission, Haechan is still recovering and he cannot ask Winwin, he’s too unreliable right now. Taeil can count on his fingers how many people he can send. And that doesn’t sound good. 

 

“How many men do they have?” he asks. 

 

“At least twenty in every place”. 

 

Taeil’s face gets even darker. 

 

“Call the whole gang in the meeting room immediately”.

 

◇◆◇

 

The room is spinning, the edges blurry, Jungwoo doesn’t know if it’s his head or if the world is actually crumbling down. He can see the blood dripping from his hands, he can feel its warmth on his skin. He feels like throwing up. It’s too much for him to register what is happening. There’s nothing for him to hold onto, nothing keeping him grounded. It’s almost as if he’s watching the scene from outside his body. He can see everything. He can see himself on his knees. He can see it all. 

And he can’t stop but relive the events that led to this. He can’t stop but think that it is his fault. If he had had the guts to  _ talk _ , none of this would have happened. He can remember everything so clearly. It all started after his conversation with Yukhei. After he… rejected him. Mark walked in the training room later that night and found Jungwoo sitting in a corner, his knees to his chest. He walked over to him and squatted down in front of him. 

 

“Hey man, you okay?” he asked. 

 

Jungwoo shook his head. No. Of course, he wasn’t. He had potentially ruined everything there was between him and Yukhei. 

 

“Yukhei confessed to me and I rejected him”, he said all at once. 

 

“And why are you the one that is sad about it?” Mark wondered. 

 

Jungwoo looked up at him and stopped for a second. He didn’t know. He felt like he was the one that had been rejected. He felt like he might be regretting his words. He put it on the guilt for hurting Yukhei. But deep down he knew this wasn’t it. 

 

“Jungwoo. I know you’re not stupid. You’re just… a bit dense. Why are you here, alone and sad? Why did you run away from him? I know you know the answer” Mark added. 

 

Jungwoo felt dumb. Of course, Mark was right. He knew. He knew why. And he acted like the stupidest person on earth. All because he was scared. All because he didn’t understand his feelings. All because Yukhei was so confident and amazing and everything Jungwoo was not and he chickened out. 

 

“Because I love him,” he finally breathed out. 

 

Mark smiled and patted his back. 

 

“There you go. Now go make things right.”

 

But Jungwoo didn’t get the opportunity to make things right. They were called into the meeting room urgently and ten minutes later they were leaving for their mission. Not the right time to talk. He should have said it anyway. Now that he thinks back on it, the setting, the time, all of this doesn’t matter. If you have something to say, say it. You might not get another opportunity.

Instead, Yukhei and Jungwoo spend the car ride in silence. Taeil didn’t know about their situation so he had sent them together anyway because that’s what they’ve always been used to. And both of them know how to be professional and not let their personal lives affect their work especially with a situation as important as this one. 

When they arrived at the nightclub, they didn’t take time to think, they drew their guns and ran inside. Jungwoo was supposed to get the people trapped inside out while Yukhei would fight. Then Jungwoo would join him because there was no way he would take on ten people on his own. Everything went well. It really did at first. Jungwoo worked fast to get everyone out safely and escorted them outside while Yukhei would roll around and throw punches and fire bullets and strangle some people here and there. They were a good team. Jungwoo smiled at that, watching him fight. Then he joined him just when he was about to be overpowered and Jungwoo put a bullet through the head of the man that was about to hurt Yukhei. He wasn’t going to let  _ anyone _ hurt him. Even if that meant killing. And God knew how much Jungwoo hated killing people. They stayed there breathing heavily for a while, looking at each other. Jungwoo couldn’t get rid of the smile on his face. But Yukhei lowered his gaze. And started walking away. 

 

“Wait!” Jungwoo yelled. 

 

Yukhei turned around, looking sad. 

 

“We have to get moving Jungwoo. We have to report. And we can’t stay here if the police gets there. Jaehyun won’t be able to protect us from them forever.” 

 

Jungwoo opened his mouth but he didn’t know what he could say. He didn’t care about the police, he didn’t care about anything. He just wanted to tell him but he probably thought it could wait. So he didn't. He followed him back to the parking lot towards the car. He was walking just one step behind when he heard a noise from behind him. Everything happened too fast. Jungwoo keeps replaying the scene in his head and he still doesn’t know exactly how it happened. Someone was still alive. And they fired on Jungwoo. He turned around just a little bit too late and only saw Yukhei’s body jump in front of him without being able to react or stop him. Yukhei fell down on the ground with a thud and Jungwoo’s eyes were wide open. Perhaps it was the adrenaline that powered his moves but in a fraction of a second he fired his gun and their opponent dropped to the ground as well. 

Then it was Jungwoo’s turn to drop to the ground. His knees on the gravel. His hands were shaking with panic.  _ Please, please be okay _ . He turned Yukhei around so he could see his face, check his injury, his breathing. It was worse than Jungwoo had imagined. Jungwoo’s hands quickly became soaked in blood and he started to panic. His eyes were burning with tears and he was breathing too fast his head felt dizzy. 

 

“Fuck, Yukhei, look at me, please stay with me,” Jungwoo started to mumble, tapping on Yukhei’s cheeks to keep his eyes from closing. 

 

He could barely hold them open. Jungwoo shakily grabbed his wrist and took his pulse. It was slowing down. Fast. Jungwoo would never have time to bring him home. The tears just started falling uncontrollably. He wasn’t ready, he couldn’t lose him. 

Yukhei was holding his chest with one hand, fruitlessly trying to stop the blood. Then something seemed to change in him. He became more peaceful, less frantic. Jungwoo didn’t know if it was the blood loss, or his heart slowing down or simply a peace that his mind had found in the chaos. He looked at Jungwoo with all the tenderness in the world. And he managed to draw out a few words. 

 

“I’m sorry, I’m glad you’re safe.”

 

His hand went to Jungwoo’s cheek, leaving a bloody stain on his skin. With his own hand, Jungwoo held tight onto Yukhei’s on his cheek while he cried. 

 

“I love you,” Yukhei said, just above a whisper. 

 

Then his hand went limp. 

 

“I love you too! Yukhei please listen to me!  _ I love you _ . I love you so much, I was so stupid please don’t go, please. P l e a s e.”

 

Jungwoo shakes him as much as he can but Yukhei remains with no reaction. His eyes still half open and Jungwoo can’t bear to look at them. These beautiful eyes that were so full of life and love just a few moments ago. He closes them softly with two fingers and he cries. His head to Yukhei’s chest. Not caring about all the blood. He cries until he can’t anymore. He cries to drown out the guilt. And all the things left unsaid. He cries because Yukhei died without knowing just how much he loved him. He died thinking Jungwoo didn’t like him. And there is nothing Jungwoo will ever do that can fix this. There is nothing he can do that will bring Yukhei back. Yukhei who sacrificed himself to keep him safe and died without knowing Jungwoo would have done the same for him in a heartbeat. Without knowing Jungwoo would have walked to the end of the earth for him. For his smile. For the way, he said Jungwoo’s name like it was the most precious word in the world. 

Jungwoo would give everything for just one minute, one more minute with Yukhei, one minute where he could tell him. Tell him everything, and apologize. But he will never have this chance ever again. 

  
  


◇◆◇

 

At the same time as Jungwoo and Yukhei, Taeyong and Ten were on their way to their own mission. But someone else was sitting in the back. Someone unexpected. A mess of blonde hair and small brown eyes. Jisung was sitting in the back of the car, his head resting on the tinted window. Now how exactly did Jisung get sent on a mission? How did Taeil allow it?

The whole gang had been called to the meeting room. Taeyong was closely clinging to Ten, a new aura of intimacy surrounding them. Jeno, Chenle and Jisung were chatting together while Jungwoo was standing with Mark and Yukhei stood alone, on the other side of the room. Johnny and Taeil were in the middle of the room. Ten looked around and he thought they were doomed. There were so few of them. This was one of the most difficult times Ten had seen in the Eye of the Dragon. And he didn’t know why they had been called in here yet. But he figured it was urgent. Taeil cleared his throat, his hand tightly holding onto Johnny’s as he started to speak. 

 

“Hello everyone, I wish I didn’t have to say this but this is a pressing matter. The Seven Stars know about us, they know that right now we’re in a precarious situation and we’re lacking soldiers. I’m going to need all of your participation. They are currently attacking three of our nightclubs and some people are still trapped in there. We have to save them right now. Jeno, Chenle, Mark, I know you guys don’t have the proper training for this kind of mission but I still wanted you to be here. We need everyone’s support.”

 

All the people exchanged worried looks. Three nightclubs? At the same time? There was no way there would be enough of them for that. Yukhei was the only one brave enough to ask the question on everyone’s lips. 

 

“So how are we going to do this?” 

 

“We are going to split you into teams and send you there. Jungwoo and Yukhei you will go together, you’ve trained a lot together you’ll do just fine. As to the other teams… we’re still unsure how to do it. We don’t wanna put anyone in danger,” Johnny answered.

 

“I’ll go,” Mark said, stepping up.

 

Everyone turned to look at him. He wasn’t very tall or particularly strong, he had a soft face and big doe eyes. But he was standing there more determined than he had ever been.

 

“I knew something like this would happen one way or another so I started training for it some while ago. I might not be as good as Ten or Doyoung but I can be useful.” 

 

Johnny smiled at him. 

 

“Then you’ll go with me. Thank you, Mark,” then he turned to Ten “Can you and Taeyong take care of the last place?” 

 

Ten didn’t answer right away. He wanted to say yes. He didn’t want to have them in trouble but Taeyong hadn’t received enough training. His first mission, Ten had taken care of most of the opponents. He wasn’t sure just the two of them would be enough.

 

“How many men do we have to kill?” Ten asks.

 

“About twenty, maybe more,” Johnny can see the look on Ten’s face and he knows what he thinks, but he just can’t think of any other way to make this work. 

 

Then, much like Mark, someone else decided to step up. He walked to Johnny, shook his head to get the hair out of his face and spoke.

 

“I’ll go with them,” Jisung said with a confident tone. 

 

This time Johnny was the one who stopped him before Taeil could even say anything. But Jisung wasn’t going to let them win. Not this time. He was tired of being left out constantly. He wasn’t a kid anymore. He had trained since he was eleven years old, he was  _ ready _ . 

 

“No, this time I’m going and none of you will stop me. I have been training for years, I am way more prepared than this guy” he points at Taeyong, “You’re willing to send someone that has had a week of training and not someone who has gotten years to prepare for this? Just because I’m younger? No, even Chenle goes on dangerous missions and he’s my age. Is it because I’m your brother? So you’re willing to sacrifice everybody but me? I’m not worth more than anyone in here, I want to be treated like them, I want them to see me as a friend, a colleague, not the Boss’s bratty little brother that must be protected at all cost. I’m tired of this, Taeil hyung. You’ve done enough, you’ve protected me enough. But I’m not the scared little boy I used to be. I can stand up for myself now.”

 

And as Taeil was watching Jisung speak, there was something in his eyes that changed. Jisung was right, he had always seen him as the little kid who would cry when his mother yelled at him, who would hide behind Taeil to avoid the hits. Taeil had never stopped seeing him as that boy. But it was obvious now that, much like Taeil, he had changed a lot. Taeil could see every day how much he trained. How much he wanted this. A chance to prove himself. Maybe he was right after all. Maybe it was time to send him on his first mission. 

 

And that’s how Jisung found himself here. In the back of the car, driving towards his very first mission for the gang. A knot of nervousness and excitement ties his stomach and he can’t stop playing with the hem of his shirt. Taeil had sent him off with hundreds of warnings and pieces of advice he can only remember half of. And he saw him whisper to Ten. And Jisung knows exactly what he told him.  _ Keep an eye on my brother _ . 

When the car pulls up on the parking lot of the nightclub, Jisung palms his guns through his holsters and swallows hard. Despite training for so long, he was still unsure of himself. Actually being on the field was way more different than shooting stuffed mannequins or tin cans. He takes a deep breath and exits the car. Ten and Taeyong are standing outside, their guns in hands. 

 

“Here’s what we’re going to do, Jisung you will stay with Taeyong and you will go upstairs and bring the people out through the fire escape then you’ll wait for my command. They must not know you two are here. That way we have the element of surprise. I will go through the main entrance just firing at them and kill as many as I can, then you two will come down and finish them off alright?” 

 

The plan goes pretty much as planned for the first part. Taeyong and Jisung manage to slip unnoticed through the back door and make it upstairs. They gesture for the people stuck there to not make a noise. Then they slowly make them go down the fire escape, Taeyong helps them get down while Jisung stays up there and guides them. They have no idea what is happening downstairs except the gunshots. Then something they hadn’t planned happens. When the first gunshots can be heard, a woman, still upstairs, waiting for her turn to get out, screams out in panic. Jisung runs to put his hand on her mouth but it’s too late. They heard it. He rushes her out through the fire escape and tells Taeyong to come and hide behind the table with him and to draw his guns. 

Downstairs, Ten is struggling. Twenty men is a bit too much for him alone and he is just rolling around, avoiding the bullets and firing at them and throwing his knives. He manages to kill almost half of them but then the scream upstairs catches their attention and some of them run to check what is happening. Ten feels a rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He can’t let them get to Taeyong and Jisung. Fortunately, the scream had also distracted the few men that stayed here and Ten takes this opportunity to jump out of his hiding place, retrieve his knives on some of the corpses on the way and run to the men still standing there. He surprises them. He is too fast, it is almost like he is flying across the room, slicing and stabbing and killing. When every one of them falls heavily on the ground, Ten runs upstairs to catch up to the five last men. He arrives just in time to see Taeyong fire at one of the men and jump back behind the table where he and Jisung are hiding. Ten has a dumb proud smile on his face at seeing Taeyong do so well after such a short time of training but he doesn’t have time to dwell on that. The four men had expected him and one of them fires on Ten. He doesn’t have enough time to avoid it and the bullet buries itself deep inside of his arm, tearing the skin open. Ten screams out in pain and drops his gun to the floor. He holds his wound with his other hand but the pain is so vivid the edges of his vision become white and a loud sound rings inside his ears. 

At that moment, Jisung knows he has to do something. If he doesn’t, Ten will die. He’s had enough of people sacrificing themselves for him. First Taeil, now Ten. While he’s been hiding all his life. Now, sitting behind this table while Ten is fighting for his sake, he’s tired of hiding. All his life he has been protected, he’s watched Taeil stand up for him. Well, he was going to stand up for others now. He was going to protect the gang and the people that mean so much to him. Today he was going to make his brother proud.

He gets up from his hiding place and no one expected it. No one expected a sixteen-year-old to show up and just shoot them. Jisung kills the man threatening Ten. His shot is precise and deadly. Quickly he fires at someone else but he’s not fast enough. And before Taeyong has time to pull Jisung back behind the table, one of the men shoots him. One, two, three times. Jisung falls onto Taeyong’s lap. 

The pain in Ten’s arm is still unbearable but he has no choice but to do something. With his valid arm, he throws a knife to the back of the head of the man and gestures for Taeyong to take Jisung and run to the car. He will join them when he’s done. The last man turns around his gun pointed at Ten, but he has been expecting it and he kicks it out of his hand. Then he kicks him in the face and picks up a torn table leg. A powerful kick to his chest has him flying backward and the man runs to finish him off. But Ten is as good with table legs as he is with knives apparently. He throws it hard and it impales the man in the chest. He falls face down on the floor, blood flowing from his mouth. Ten stumbles downstairs, his vision blurring and he’s not sure he can make it to the car. When he gets there, Taeyong has settled Jisung on the back seat. He’s still breathing but his clothes are soaked in blood and he’s coughing. 

 

“Ten I don’t think he’s going to make it,” Taeyong says his voice completely panicked. 

 

“Just drive, quick, get us to HQ” Ten manages to say, his ears still ringing.

 

He sits in the back, to check on Jisung but his own state doesn’t allow him to be very aware. He can’t stop staring at Jisung’s body, too weak, losing too much, blood, his breathing difficult. He can’t stop staring at his young face, his blonde hair now dirty and bloody and he can’t help the tears that fall from his eyes. He punches the seat of out frustration.

 

“Jisung, you idiot!” He sobs. 

 

Taeyong drives as fast as he can. He doesn’t care about the red lights. Doesn’t care about the people crossing the streets. He drives on the sidewalk when necessary. He just needs to get back to headquarters as fast as he can. But he’s not fast enough. When he reaches the underground parking. Jisung’s heart has already stopped. 

Ten shakes him. Tells him to open his eyes. But Jisung isn’t moving anymore. Taeyong’s eyes are wet as he carries the body to Renjun’s lab. He lays it on the table and Renjun’s eyes widen when he realizes what happened. He just wants to stand there and cry and mourn the death of his friend but Ten is in a bad state and he has to take care of his injury. A few minutes later, Taeil comes running in. He first notices Renjun stitching up Ten’s arm and the way both of them are trying so hard not to break down in tears. And then he sees Taeyong, sitting next to the table, his head between his hands and his shoulders are shaking, he’s sobbing. Then he sees the table. He sees someone laying there and he doesn’t want to believe who this is. He doesn’t want to see the blood dripping down onto the cold white tiles. He doesn’t want to see the arm weakly falling from the side of the table. 

Jisung is  _ dead _ . 

Three words. Three simple words that Taeil cannot wrap his head around. Three words that feel like knives piercing his heart with every breath that he takes. He drops to the floor, his head thrown back in pain. It’s lacerating as if he was being torn open and each of his organs were ripped off. The tears start flowing without him even feeling them. They burn the corner of his eyes and it feels like every inch of his skin is on fire. The pain is excruciating. 

His brother.  _ His little brother _ . The red color of the blood on the floor and on Jisung’s hands somehow reminds Taeil of strawberry jam. He remembers that day Jisung had stolen a jar from the cupboard and started eating it with his hands. It was so messy, he had it everywhere. Their mother hadn’t found it funny or endearing and she had tried to beat him up but Taeil had taken the hits for him. And that night, as Jisung was crying in his bed, Taeil had sneaked inside his room with a brand new jar of strawberry jam and they had eaten it together with their hands. Because Taeil wasn’t going to let anyone dictate how they should live their lives. He remembers that day how he promised him that no matter what happened in the future, he would always be there to protect him. 

But he had failed. He had not kept his promise. At this point, Taeil can barely breathe. Johnny enters the room just as Taeil starts crying and screaming and punching the floor until his fists turn bloody and his eyes go from Taeil to Jisung and then back to Taeil and his heart hurts. He rushes in to stop Taeil from hurting himself further. He takes both of his hands firmly in his. But Taeil pushes him back with force. Then his arms drop limply to the sides of his body. All his strength has left him, he feels empty, so  _ empty _ . Soon his vision turns black and he passes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ......... pls don't hate me ily guys


	9. - saved

There’s nothing in the world that Johnny would want more than to be able to turn back time. Turn back and erase all the bad decisions. Just a few days. Just a few simple days he wants to do over. Just a few things he wants to change. He would stop Jisung from going on a mission. He would’ve sent someone with Jungwoo and Yukhei. He would have done things so differently if only he had thought about the consequences. Are these nightclubs really worth the sacrifice of two lives? Johnny sighs. No. They aren't. Of course, they aren't. Johnny had been lucky, when they arrived at their mission with Mark there were only a few gang members there and Mark had trained so well they managed to get rid of them easily. If only he had known what was happening to the others they would have driven to help them. He sits down in the big armchair of Taeil’s office. It feels too big now. Too cold. Too empty. Taeil hadn’t left his room in days. Johnny had decided to give him time. He needed it. His brother was everything to him and losing him was the worst pain he could have ever felt in his life. Taeil had left everything to Johnny. He hadn’t said anything, but Johnny knew. He had known Taeil since middle school now, he had been his first true friend when he arrived from the United States to Korea when he was thirteen. He used to sit alone in class. He didn’t speak Korean really well and the other kids didn’t know how to communicate with him. But that didn’t stop Taeil. Nothing ever stopped Taeil. One day he sat down at the desk next to Johnny and he straightened his hand in front of him. He gathered all his courage and said a ‘My name is Taeil, nice to meet you’ in English with the cutest accent. And at that exact moment, Johnny knew he would never let him go. 

Now Johnny can’t help but feel guilty. It’s his fault. Everything that happened. He’s the one who told Taeil to join the gang in the beginning. He’s the reason Jisung and Taeil ever got involved in all this. And he isn’t sure he is ever going to be able to forgive himself. He can’t get that scene out of his mind. How forcefully Taeil pushed him off of him on that fateful day. He probably hates him now. Johnny rubs his eyes a few times. He’s tired. He has barely gotten any sleep since everything happened. He took over Taeil’s job instinctively to keep the gang going while Taeil would try his best to heal. The mood in the gang had been heavy. No laughter, no lively conversation anymore. People were mourning. Taeil had lost a brother, but the rest of them had lost two colleagues. Two  _ friends _ . It wasn’t something you could get over in a day. Surprisingly now, the Seven Stars were laying low for a while. Maybe they had gotten what they wanted. Johnny wasn’t sure how the gang could survive with that many people gone. The thought brings him to think about Yuta and something pulls in his stomach. He can’t believe they’ve left him alone with their enemy for so long. He has probably been tortured. Maybe he wasn’t even alive anymore. Johnny's head drops to his hands, heavy. He knows Taeil had started something, a plan to get him out of here. He had done all of this secretly, without even telling his members. Johnny knew about it, of course, he knew everything Taeil was up to. He helped too. Taeil had sent Chenle on a mission while everything else was unfolding. He came back with the maps of the Seven Stars headquarters and Taeil had been working on finding a way to retrieve Yuta based on these maps. 

Johnny opens the first drawer where he knows Taeil keeps the documents but they aren’t here. He shuffles through the papers and files for a moment. Nothing. He is sure that Taeil put them here but just in case he decides to check the other drawers. After going through the whole desk and the other drawers he sits down on the chair again. Someone had taken the documents for Yuta’s rescue.

 

While Johnny is in Taeil’s office wondering who could have done such a thing, someone in another room, not far from him, is planning something. It’s a dimly lit room, a bluish light coming from the computer in the middle of the room. A boy is tapping on the keyboard with an incredible speed. It looks like he knows what he’s doing. What he’s searching for. Another boy is in the room, sitting across from the first one and he seems focused on a map spread out on the table. The map, as it appears, is the one Johnny was looking for a minute ago. 

 

“Jeno did you figure this out yet?” a young voice asks. 

 

Jeno doesn’t look up from the computer screen but nods, not slowing down his tapping one bit. 

 

“Yeah, I think I know how to get us in there. Their security system is pretty easy to hack,” Jeno answers distractedly “Who else is going on this mission Chenle?”

 

Chenle fiddles in his chair, looking uncomfortable. He passes a hand through his blond hair and smiles awkwardly. 

 

“Well, um, I haven’t really convinced anybody yet…” he says with a small voice. 

 

The tapping stops and Jeno looks up, his mouth open in surprise. 

 

“You mean we’re doing all this and you’re not even sure we can actually do this mission?” 

 

Chenle nods and lowers his head. He has asked a few of the members to come to his room, he wants to talk to them about this mission and convince them to go with him but he’s not sure how many of them will agree. And he’s not even sure anyone will actually come. Everyone is pretty shaken up by the loss of their two friends. Chenle has had a very hard time as well. He always hung out with Jisung a lot and they were like best friends. Losing him hurt so much Chenle didn’t leave his room for two days. But then something clicked inside him, he thought back on how much Jisung cared for everyone in the gang and how he basically sacrificed himself for them and Chenle realized how much he himself cared for everyone too. How much it would hurt if they were to be separated or… killed. And that’s when Chenle got the idea. He couldn’t lose someone else. 

After a few minutes, while Jeno and Chenle quietly got back to work, the door to Chenle’s room open and three people walk in. Ten, Taeyong and Haechan. Chenle has a sigh of relief when he sees them walk through the door, he smiles at them brightly. 

 

“Thanks for coming! Please have a seat,” he offers, gesturing towards his single bed. 

 

Ten sits close to Taeyong and the latter reaches to hold his hand. They exchange a fond look and Chenle, who feels like interrupting, pretends he didn’t see anything. Ten was usually pretty secretive about everything but his relationship with Taeyong was different. He didn’t seem to hide it. It’s more like he wants everyone to know. Haechan sits down, half on his doc martens and sucks on a lollipop casually, waiting for someone to say something. Since the last time Chenle saw him, he dyed pink strands in his hair and bought new dangly earrings. He has also been into wearing glitter on his cheeks and it makes him look ethereal. He is not wearing his bandages anymore so you can see the scar that the bullet has left in his skin under his fishnets. That slightly worries Chenle. 

 

“Are you completely healed Chanie? I don’t want you to worsen your condition…”

 

“I’m good, Renjun said it was okay, don’t worry about it Lele,” he answers with a smile.

 

“So what is this all about?” Ten starts.

 

“Okay, so, Jeno and I decided to make a plan and to go rescue Yuta on our own,” Chenle says all at once. 

 

As he expected the protests and questions fuse from the three of them sitting on the bed.  _ Has Taeil approved this? We don’t have orders! It’s dangerous! _

 

“Listen! I know, I know all this. I know that it’s risky and that we may have a hard time just the four of us but… we need to do this. We already lost two people today. Two friends. I don’t want to lose another one…” his voice almost dies “I know for a fact that Taeil was working on a plan to get Yuta out because he sent me on a secret mission to retrieve this map” he says pointing at the map on the table “and  _ this, _ is the Seven Stars headquarters. I borrowed this document from his office and Jeno and I have been working on it since this morning. We have everything figured out now we just need you guys to help us. I can’t go in there on my own. I know that Taeil is the boss and that we have to follow his orders but… we can’t always wait for him to do everything for us. He just lost his brother we can’t ask anything from him. Right now he needs us. So we’re gonna go out there and save Yuta and we're gonna get at least this burden off his shoulders. Are you with me?” 

 

A silence. Some indecisive looks exchanged. Some whispers. Then someone’s voice.

 

“I'm in,” Taeyong is the first to answer and Chenle is moved by it. 

 

Taeyong has only been here for a few weeks and at least one of them was spent in the detention room, yet here he is, ready to sacrifice himself to save one of them. Chenle would hug him right now if it weren't awkward. Ten seems to hesitate, he holds on tightly to Taeyong’s hand. He has always been Taeil’s soldier, he’s always been faithful to him and has always followed orders, but now is a time for him to decide by himself and choose what the best thing to do is. He slowly lets go of Taeyong’s hand and make his knuckles crack. 

 

“You guys can’t do this without me anyways,” he says with a smug look. 

 

Taeyong elbows him and Chenle laughs. He observes the way Ten smiles widely at Taeyong and how despite trying to keep a serious face Taeyong breaks into a smile as well. It warms his heart to see them like that. To see something happy, something beautiful, in these dark times. And to see Ten smile, so bright, so genuinely, it’s something so new to Chenle. As sad as it is to say, he has never known Ten happy. But then Taeyong came along and whatever kind of magic he did, it made Ten open up, bloom like a flower and it’s beautiful. 

Haechan is still sucking on his lollipop looking at the scene unfold with a pout. He untangles his legs and gets up, everyone’s eyes on him. He’s wearing black short shorts with fishnets and a pink crop top decorated with a glittery revolver, a leather jacket as well as a diamond choker to contrast with his brown skin. He’s a vision, a beautiful creature and you wouldn’t mind letting him kill you if it meant he was the last thing you would ever see. 

 

“I need some exercise, of course, I’m in,” he finally says, taking the lollipop out of his mouth with a loud pop. 

 

Chenle never doubted them, he knew they would eventually agree and they didn’t need that much convincing. He claps his hands excitedly and tells them about his plan. Jeno will stay behind in this room and guide them through the Seven Stars headquarters. They will communicate with in-ear so Jeno can deactivate cameras and security systems as they go along and without anyone noticing it. Everyone nods. Sounds like a pretty good plan. Now their only problem is to figure out where they’re keeping Yuta. The map doesn’t show any detention room or anything. Their best shot at this is either the basement or the warehouse just outside of the main building. They will separate into two teams for this and each team will check one place to cover more ground in less time. 

 

“I think we might need one more person,” Taeyong says, thoughtful, “And he probably needs it too…” 

 

◇◆◇

  
  


Jungwoo doesn’t know how long he’s been laying there staring at the white ceiling. But he knows it’s not long enough. Not long enough because the burning feeling in his stomach and the knot in his throat have not yet started to fade. He doesn’t cry anymore. He has cried for days and now he just has no tears left. He’s just blankly staring at the lonely lamp hanging from a string in the middle of the ceiling. Everything feels so dull. Empty. Like something isn’t right. Like something is missing. 

 

“I miss you,” Jungwoo says, his voice cracking, hoarse from disuse. 

 

He doesn’t know why he’s saying that out loud. He’s been repeating it in his head for hours but it’s the first time he has voiced it. He feels like maybe  _ he’s _ listening. Maybe way up there, there’s a way he can hear him say those words. It’s a naive thought but somehow it’s comforting so Jungwoo keeps going. 

 

“I’m so sorry, it’s my fault. It was never supposed to happen, you never should have died for me. You were my responsibility, you were my… partner,” Jungwoo chokes up on the last word. 

 

The silence in the room gets heavier and heavier with every single word that Jungwoo draws out slowly. 

 

“I’m sorry I haven’t been enough. I’m sorry I was so slow in figuring out my feelings. I’m sorry I was never able to love you like you deserved to be loved.”

 

By the time he finishes his sentence, Jungwoo is half sitting up on the bed and he’s crying again, holding his stomach and desperately trying to breathe. 

 

“I’m so sorry Yukhei please forgive me, I hope one day I can forgive myself as well. I’ll always remember you. Always, you hear me. You will always be in my heart.” 

 

The pain is still vivid and burning all over but somehow, Jungwoo feels more at peace now. Having said all of that, having expressed his feelings out loud. It feels like a weight lifting off his shoulders. And he knows he won’t be okay before long, but this feels like the first step towards healing. 

At that moment, there’s a knock on the door and then it opens with a creaking sound. Jungwoo wipes his tears away quickly and turns around to see who interrupted him. The bright red hair gives it away. Taeyong is standing there, looking at his feet, not daring to move or make a noise. Jungwoo doesn’t trust his voice to speak so he just waits for Taeyong to talk. They spend a while just looking at each other. 

 

“Hi,” Taeyong says eventually “I don’t mean to interrupt but considering what you’re going through I thought you would need something to keep your mind off certain things. Ten, Haechan, Chenle and I are going to go out and rescue Yuta. It’s not an authorized mission but we feel it’s the right thing to do. And I think you should come with us.”

 

Jungwoo stares at him, slowly processing all the new information. Taeyong has barely ever spoken to him before. But he has come all the way to his room to offer him to join on a mission which they seem to be handling perfectly already. All because he cares about him and doesn’t want him to stay brooding in his room. Jungwoo feels so touched. He stands up, for the first time in days and what he does next surprises even him. He wraps his arms around Taeyong and hugs him. All these days staying alone he didn’t realize how much he missed human contact. Taeyong seems taken aback at first but soon he hugs Jungwoo back and strokes his hair in a very paternal way even though Jungwoo is only a few years younger.  _ Thank you so much _ . Are the words Jungwoo wishes he could say but there’s no sound that leaves his mouth. 

 

About an hour later, everyone is back in Chenle’s room, everyone knows what they have to do. All of them are ready, wearing their fighting gear, even though they don’t plan to fight. Jungwoo stands a bit away from everyone but Taeyong throws glances at him here and then, checking on him. It doesn’t take them long to reach the Seven Stars headquarters, they arrive in the middle of the afternoon when they know there won’t be too many people in the corridors. The Seven Stars aren’t the only ones to know things, and as it happens Chenle has been spying on them for a while and he knows that at this hour they are all usually away on a mission or in the meeting room for a meeting with the boss. It’s the perfect time to act.

They pull up in the deserted alleyway in the back of their headquarters. Ten, Taeyong and Chenle get out of the car first, they walk towards the small entrance door almost hidden away underneath poison ivy. Chenle is in contact with Jeno, like all of them, through their in-ears and that’s how he gets Jeno to deactivate the front camera. They’re all wearing masks and beanies to hide but it’s better to be safe than sorry. The rest is up to them. The door is nothing electronic, it’s an old, heavy metal door that needs a key. Fortunately, Chenle is the master at unlocking doors and sneaking in everywhere so it doesn’t take him more than two minutes to unlock it. Once they manage to enter, they find themselves in a big courtyard. A few black cars are parked here and there but the place is mostly empty. In front of them, stands a big, tall, rich building with glass windows. Not what you would expect to find in this kind of place. They don’t see any warehouse on this side of the building so they figure they will have to cross it to get to it. Chenle has memorized the map and given a copy to Jungwoo and Haechan who will be entering a few minutes after them. When they enter the building, everything seems to easy. Of course, Jeno has done most of the job, he has unlocked the security for them and he disabled the alarm system. But they are still on their guards, walking carefully, trying not to make any sound. The corridors are vast and cold. Black tiles and paintings on the walls. It gives Taeyong a weird feeling in his stomach and he doesn't like it. He hopes they can get out of here as soon as possible. They follow Chenle through the maze of corridors and surprisingly enough, they encounter no one on their way. They make their way down to the basement just as Jungwoo and Haechan enter the main building. They have to go through the main corridor to get out on the other side and reach the warehouse. For them though, it doesn’t go as smoothly. When they turn around a corner Jungwoo finds himself face to face with a member of the Seven Stars. Jungwoo and the guy don’t even have time to react that Haechan sneaks behind him and hits him forcefully on the back of the head with the handle of his gun. The man collapses at Jungwoo’s feet and when he looks up he can see Haechan, holding his gun in one hand, his lollipop in the other. 

 

“Well come on, we don’t have all day,” he says. 

 

They get back on their way, asking Jeno to warn them if anyone is on the way so they can be ready to knock them out or to hide. The rest of the mission happens without a hitch. They reach the front door and exit through it. Once they’re outside it’s easy to spot the warehouse. The big abandoned-looking building on the right. As Jeno said, it is guarded on the inside by two soldiers. Jungwoo and Haechan slam the door open, holding their guns in front of them ready to shoot. The men, taken by surprise don’t have time to draw their guns that Jungwoo and Haechan shoot them. The guideline for today’s mission is: no killing. But they had loaded their guns with immobilizing darts. The men fall to the ground, unable to do anything as Haechan makes his way towards the back of the warehouse where he can see something hanging from the ceiling. Or,  _ someone _ . A black figure, motionless, his wrists hanging, tied above his head. Haechan walks faster, Jungwoo hot on his heels. As he advances, the figure starts to look like someone. Someone they know really well. The first thing Haechan notices is the blood. The blood on the floor, on a pool at the feet of the captive. The blood all over his body. They are now just a few steps away from the figure and there is no doubt that it is Yuta. They can’t see his face because it’s hanging low but they know it’s him. The tattoo on his lower back is one more confirmation. Yuta is still not moving and they’re not even sure he is still breathing. Jungwoo is the first one to snap out of it and do something. 

 

“Guys, guys! We found him, come here right away we need you to carry him out,” he says in his mic, trying hard not to let panic show in his voice. 

 

Haechan is still standing in front of Yuta, observing every single detail. He’s not wearing any shirt and his pants are torn in places. There are whip wounds still fresh on his back and blood all over his chest and arms. A thin trail of dried blood on the corner of his mouth too. The skin is torn on his wrists where the rope is restricting them. But most of all… Haechan needs to know. He walks closer, his face almost touching Yuta’s. His fingers find their way to his neck and palm, trying to find that one vein. And there it is. And it doesn’t look good. He can faintly, so faintly feel Yuta’s pulse with his two digits pressed again the skin. 

 

“Tell them to hurry,” he says turning to Jungwoo, his face suddenly very pale. 

 

Haechan and Jungwoo work together to untie the rope on his wrists. The one thing they hadn’t thought about was the state they would find Yuta in. Never did they imagine it would be so bad. They didn’t have anything to heal him. Taeyong and Chenle come running in a few minutes later and they can’t hide the shock on their faces. They don’t say anything, instead, they rush to help Haechan and Jungwoo carry Yuta out of the warehouse and, with Jeno’s help, out through the front gate. Ten went back to the car to pick them up here. He is waiting for them, the engine running. They lay Yuta in the back seat his head resting on Haechan’s knees. At this moment, Yuta’s eyes open slightly but he doesn’t register anything. He doesn’t look at them. He tries to move his hand but he can just barely wiggle his fingers. 

 

“Yuta! Can you hear me? It’s me, Haechan, we’re bringing you home!” 

 

Yuta doesn’t answer, his eyes closing and opening, trying to keep focus. His head falls to the side as a faint sound leaves his lips. 

 

“Si...cheng” 

 

Haechan freezes. Yuta’s eyes close again and they realize he’s lost consciousness again. The pain must be unbearable. 

 

“We have to get him to the hospital,” Jungwoo says “It’s obviously more serious than what Renjun can deal with.” 

 

_ Sicheng _ . That is what he said. The only word that could leave his lips as the pain was so overwhelming he couldn’t move or breathe. Sicheng was what kept him going. 

 

“Did you not hear what he said?” Haechan whispers. 

 

“Sicheng. What does that mean?” Taeyong asks. 

 

“It’s Winwin’s Chinese name. No one has used it in years. In fact, he hasn’t used it himself since he was six years old. We know Winwin, but Yuta is the only one who ever knew Sicheng. We need to bring him to Winwin.”

 

“No. We can’t. He needs to go the hospital right now Haechan,” Ten answers, keeping his eyes on the road “We don’t know how long he’s been like that, we can’t lose any more time.”

 

Haechan doesn’t answer, he looks torn, he’s not sure what’s right to do anymore, not sure if he should let go of his idea. But he knows he’s right. He knows Yuta needs Winwin and that’s the only way he can survive. 

 

“Please. Trust me,” Haechan breathes out. 

 

“You guys bring him to the hospital and I’ll bring Winwin to him. I’ll take care of this, don’t worry, I’ll sneak in and free him,” Jungwoo intervenes, his eyes fixed on Haechan, he doesn’t know why but he trusts him. And he is going to do whatever he can to help. 

 

There’s a silence in the car, Ten gauging Jungwoo in the rearview mirror and then he nods. He drops Jungwoo off in the streets and drives off, as fast as he can towards the hospital. They rush him in the ER where doctors take over and examine him. 

Broken ribs. Broken arm. Broken leg. And multiple internal bruises.  

 

“What happened to him?” one of the doctors ask panicked “How long has he been like this?” 

 

“Some people beat him up, and we don’t know… we found him and drove him here as fast as we could,” Ten answers. 

 

“You guys should have called an ambulance! The drive might have made it worse! What were you thinking?!” 

 

Ten wants to answer but he’s taken aback by the doctor’s words. And by the gravity of the situation. Taeyong grabs his hand to reassure him. 

 

“Is he going to be okay?” he asks.

 

The doctor looks at him for a long time his eyes going from Ten to Taeyong. He seems to be debating whether to answer the question or not. 

 

“He will need surgery, his leg and arm have suffered displaced fractures, we have to stabilize them in order to heal. See here on the x-ray, his tibia is fractured in multiple places, his arm here, is less serious it shouldn’t take long but you can expect him to stay with the surgeons for at least five to six hours. We will bring him to the surgical room right now and anesthetize him. You will be allowed to see him after the surgery whenever he wakes up. We will give you a call, now, it’s better if you go home for the time being.” 

 

Taeyong nods without saying a thing and pulls on Ten’s arm to drag him out of the room in the cold hallway of Busan’s Medical Center. At that exact moment, Jungwoo gets here, running in, closely followed by Winwin. His hair is dirty and he looks really thin like he hasn’t eaten in days, and he probably hasn’t. 

 

“Where is he?” Winwin asks, gripping Ten’s shoulders and shaking him, and Ten has never seen him so panicked, so worried. His eyes look from left to right, restless, he needs to  _ see _ him. 

 

Ten removes Winwin’s hands from his clothes and opens his mouth to answer but just as he is going to, three doctors in white blouses push Yuta’s bed through the corridors. Winwin wants to run to him but he sees the state he is in, he sees how he’s not even conscious and no matter how much he wants to be there and hold his hand, he values his health more than anything. He sits down on one of the chairs and keeps quiet. Taeyong walks to him, his hand rubbing his shoulder. 

 

“You know, it could take a lot of hours for his surgery… You should go home, they’ll call us when he’s out.” 

 

The glare that Winwin throws at Taeyong is enough for them to understand that he won’t move from there, no matter how long he has to wait.  

 

◇◆◇

 

Taeil has been sitting in a corner of his room, his knees to his chest, trembling for he doesn’t know how long. Time is of no importance. Nothing has importance. His eyes find the plate of food on the floor next to his bed but he doesn’t see it. He doesn’t see anything. The world seems out of focus. Glitching. There is no world without Jisung. There’s no color, no laughter, no happiness. 

And Taeil still expects to hear rushed footsteps and to see a mess of blonde hair storm into his room anytime. But it never comes. It won’t ever come again. Taeil just wishes the pain would stop. He wishes the claw around his heart would release its grip. He wishes he could  _ breathe _ . 

Jisung isn’t here anymore. Taeil is slowly starting to realize it. He hasn’t heard the sound of his voice, his laughter in so long. _ Oh my god _ , _ what does his laugh even sounds like _ , it’s almost as if it’s already fading away and he can’t remember. He’s going crazy, he can feel himself slowly slip away but there’s nothing holding him back. There’s nothing to pull him back up. 

Just when he thinks it wouldn’t be too bad to let go, the door opens suddenly. Johnny is standing in the doorframe, all tall yet looking so small. His face reads an infinite sadness. He walks up to Taeil and squats in front of him. Taeil doesn’t say anything, Johnny’s not even sure he can _ see _ him.

 

“Taeil hyung, please look at me,” he says softly, his hand cupping Taeil’s face to make him face him “You haven’t eaten anything in days… You can’t let yourself starve, _ hell _ , you can’t let yourself die.” 

 

“Why.. not?” Taeil’s voice is hoarse and trembling, his eyes finally focusing on Johnny. 

 

“Because that’s not what Jisung would have wanted.” 

 

Taeil’s eyes narrow and his whole body stiffens at Johnny’s words. He looks angrier now. 

 

“How the fuck do you know what he would have wanted? He’s dead!” he yells. 

 

Johnny sighs and takes Taeil’s hands in his, gently, despite his resistance. He strokes them softly as if he were hoping it would soften him. 

 

“Taeil… He died sacrificing himself for this gang. For you, for all of us. He wouldn’t have wanted you to give up on them. He admired you so much Taeil. He really did,” Johnny whispers. 

 

There’s a tear on Taeil’s cheek and he tries to ignore it but soon he’s sobbing in Johnny’s chest. 

 

“It’s my fault, Johnny, I never should have sent him on a mission, it’s my fault, it’s my fault.” 

 

Johnny tightens his grip around Taeil’s shoulders, caressing his back, and the gesture carries so much love. 

 

“It’s not your fault… It was never your fault. He would have ended up going on a mission at some point anyway. And you can never predict what will happen. Please don’t blame yourself you always did everything you could to protect him. He couldn’t have dreamed of a better brother.”

 

“When will it stop Johnny? When will the pain stop?” Taeil sobs into Johnny’s chest. 

 

“It never really stops. When you love someone and you lose them, the pain never disappears. But with time, it will fade, it’ll become bearable. But you’ll have to live with it forever, to carry it with you forever. To remind you how much you loved him and how much it hurt,” Johnny keeps talking, caressing Taeil’s hair with one hand. 

 

“I don’t think I can handle it”, the sobs make it hard to understand him now. 

 

“Yes, you can. You’re the strongest person I know.”

 

“You’ll stay with me, right? Please stay with me, please never leave.” Taeil’s holding on to Johnny’s shirt desperately. 

 

Johnny murmurs an “Of course I’ll stay” so low Taeil is the only one who can hear it. His lips place a kiss on the top of Taeil’s head and he hugs him tighter. He’ll never let go. Johnny wants to say the words he has longed to say. For years he has kept them to himself but he has never wanted to say them more than in that exact moment. 

 

“Taeil…” he starts. 

 

“Boss!” a voice screams from the corridor, interrupting Johnny. 

 

Taeil removes himself from Johnny’s embrace and slowly stands up, not really trusting himself to walk. Jaehyun and Doyoung enter the room, breathless. They have just come back from their mission. They had to find the guy who knew about the drug and question him. It had taken them long to find him as it appears he had gone into hiding. But they had managed and they had questioned him and managed to get some… surprising answers. He wasn’t the one who sold the information to the Seven Stars, but he knew for a fact it was someone from the Eye. A traitor. They had also done some research and they found out that the Seven Stars had gotten ahold of a sample of the drug very recently. Which means the guy wasn’t lying, he wasn’t in town and Jaehyun and Doyoung were chasing him at the time. Someone from the Eye had given it to them. Someone had betrayed them.

 

“A traitor?” Taeil repeats baffled “That’s impossible, the only people who even knew about the drug were me, Renjun, and Johnny! They would never-” 

 

He stops. Suddenly frozen in place. It couldn’t be,  _ right _ ? It couldn’t be one of them. Johnny is… Taeil can’t let his feelings obstruct his judgment so he sets them aside. Renjun is not even eighteen, he is too young to be a traitor. Or, is he? He has always been there to heal them, he cares about them. But Johnny cares about them too. At least it seemed like they did. Taeil’s head can’t seem to focus on anything, all the thoughts and questions spinning inside his mind. 

 

“We don’t know any more than this but we’ll have to look into it and we’ll find who the traitor is,” Jaehyun says, “don’t worry.”

 

◇◆◇

 

Hours pass in the dull corridors of the hospital, Winwin sees the people walking in, walking out, it’s all blurry and fast. He doesn’t feel like a part of it all. His mind is way too busy to care about the outside world. The only thing he can think of right now is Yuta, and him being okay. Seeing him on the hospital bed earlier brought each and every one of his fears to reality. For days, weeks even, he’s been worrying about him being tortured and now that he finally had him back, he wasn’t sure he would even make it out alive. Yuta was everything to him. He saved him in every way a person can be saved. He is his best friend, his soulmate and the only person he has ever wanted to hang on to. The thought of losing him seems so distant, so unbelievable. Because Winwin can’t see himself without Yuta. Because one without the other isn’t one at all. It’s half of a soul. 

After what feels like an eternity. Six hours and twenty-four minutes to be precise, a doctor comes to find Winwin, still sitting in the same spot, his elbows on his thighs, hands supporting his head. He looks tired but he hasn’t slept. He has gotten food from the cafeteria on the first floor and has waited for someone to give him news about Yuta. 

 

“Sir, the surgery went well, your friend has been transported to the room he will be staying in. We recommend a few days in the hospital and then we will tell the family how to care for him at home when they get here,” the man says with a warm smile. 

 

“I’m his boyfriend,” Winwin ways without any hesitation “I’m the only family he has, you can tell me.” 

 

The man nods, still smiling warmly and guides him to Yuta’s room. He reminds him that Yuta is probably still asleep from the anesthesia and shock due to his wounds. When he enters the room, Winwin swears he could cry. Yuta is laying there in a hospital gown, his leg in a cast hanging up to keep it immobilized. His arm in a cast as well and his chest bandaged tightly. His brown hair has gotten slightly longer since the last time Winwin saw him. He looks in a terrible state. But he’s alive, and he’s here. Winwin walks to the side of his bed and sits down on an armchair. He takes his hand in his and strokes it, relishing in the feeling of Yuta’s skin between his hands and his warmth and _ god he missed him so much _ . Winwin’s head drops and he rests his forehead on Yuta’s hand. He stays like that for a long while until he feels something move under his hands. He stands up so quickly his head goes dizzy. 

Yuta’s eyes flutter open softly, slowly. The first thing he focuses on is Winwin’s hand still holding his. His eyes travel up to Winwin’s face and the smile that blooms on his face makes Winwin’s stomach turn to mush. 

 

“You’re here,” Yuta’s weak voice says. 

 

“Of course I am,” Winwin answers, holding on tighter to Yuta’s hand, “I’ll never leave you.” 

 

“Kiss me,” Yuta says, his eyes are still sleepy and he probably won’t remember it later but Winwin obliges. 

 

Their lips meet, so softly, like the touch of a butterfly’s wings but it’s electrifying and Winwin hadn’t realized how much he missed it. How much he missed kissing Yuta, how much he missed the sound of his voice and the sight of his smile. How much he missed the feeling of his breathing in the crook of his neck. 

 

“You’re safe now” Winwin whispers as they break the kiss “I’ll never let anyone hurt you ever again.” 

 

◇◆◇

 

Laying on his bed that night, Taeyong cuddled up by his side, Ten can’t sleep. He watches the ceiling and his thoughts won’t let him rest. Taeyong is already asleep, he can hear it by the sound of his breathing, calm and regular. Ten cannot stop thinking about Yuta and Winwin. He cannot stop thinking about how he would react if anything happened to Taeyong. And he can’t set aside the possibility that at some point it might happen. Because sometimes, things don’t go as you plan them. Yuta’s kidnapping, Yukhei’s and Jisung’s deaths. It was all further proofs of that. 

For the first time since he has joined the gang, Ten is having doubts. Worries about the future. It used to be fine because he was alone. He didn’t have to worry about anyone else other than himself. And he didn’t care about ruining his own life. But it isn’t just him anymore. Now there is Taeyong. That he needs to keep safe. Taeyong with whom he wants to have a life. A future together. And the gang can’t guarantee that for him. 

Yet, just the thought of leaving the gang terrifies him. It’s all that he’s ever known for five years. All that has offered him protection and a home, a  _ family. _ He doesn’t want to leave them because he knows if he does he will probably never see any of them again. 

Taeyong snuggles closer to him and Ten closes his eyes. The decision can wait. For now, they need to defeat the Seven Stars. When all of this is over, then Ten would talk to Taeyong about it. And they will choose. As Ten is about to drift to sleep, a ruffle in the corridor drags him out of his slumber. He untangles himself from Taeyong carefully trying not to wake him up and decides to check outside.

He opens his door in time to see Mark and Chenle drag a man to Taeil’s office. He follows them quietly and walks inside the office with them. He knows it’s not a problem for him to be here, Taeil trusts him. Ten takes a look at Taeil and worries about his state. The dark circles under his eyes and the almost unnoticeable shaking of his hands. Ten knows he is still in a fragile state, yet he sits here, behind his big mahogany desks, taking care of the gang as nothing had happened. Ten thinks he must be the bravest person he knows.

 

“We found him at the front door,” Mark says.

 

“He says he comes to deliver a message from the Seven Stars,” Chenle adds. 

 

Taeil nods and gestures for him to talk. 

 

“Earlier today some of your men infiltrated our headquarters and released a prisoner,” Taeil throws a questioning look at Chenle who just looks down at his feet, not wanting to meet his eyes, “The Seven Stars has taken this as a great offense. Our great leader has decided on something to settle once and for all this conflict. He offers a duel. Next Monday. One on one. Boss to boss. Anything is fair game. And, to the death, of course,” the man says with a wicked smile. 

 

“No way!” Johnny yells out. 

 

Taeil raises his hand making him stop talking. Then his face forms a smile. A strange smile that Ten has never seen on him before and he can’t quite understand what it means. 

 

“You’re going to go back to your precious little headquarters and you’re going to tell Sehun this one thing. Whatever little game he thinks he’s playing, it won’t work with me,” Taeil says in a cold voice that sends shivers down Ten’s spine. 

 

Ten stops at the familiarity with which he said “Sehun”, how he dropped any honorifics, how his voice dripped a history only the two of them knows about. 

 

“Does that mean you’re refusing his challenge?” the man asks, on a defying tone. 

 

“Oh no, my dear,” Taeil says, a crazy look in his eyes, he looks ready to risk everything,  “That means I accept.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooo   
> did the yuwin reunion make up for what i did in chapter 8?   
> dhjsdk i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!! brace yourselves for the last one coming after new year's!!!   
> i can't believe it's already almost the end:(  
> ily guys


	10. - finale

There’s a tension in the air the next morning.

Everyone can feel it. No one really knows why. Taeil hasn’t made an announcement yet. He has kept it between the members that were there and asked them to keep quiet for now. Johnny never left Taeil’s side since that moment. He wants to  _ understand _ and he wants to make him change his mind. Taeil hasn’t said a word to him yet. He’s still thinking about his brother, Johnny knows that, and he’s afraid he might just be using the opportunity of the duel to… let go and die. But Johnny will never let him do that and he will do whatever it takes to protect him. 

And Johnny hears the rumours. He knows what other people are thinking. That he’s the traitor. That he’s deceiving them, and most of all Taeil. He knows that is why Taeil is distant. And he hates it. But he’s going to prove them wrong. He knows who the traitor is. He doesn’t have to look very far to figure out who did it. 

First, though, he needs to have some answers from Taeil. 

 

“How do you know that Sehun guy?” he says, breaking the silence between them. 

 

Taeil, sitting at his desk staring off into space, turns his head towards Johnny. His face is expressionless, and whatever Johnny expected to read on it, there’s nothing he can see. After a while of remaining silent, looking at Johnny, debating whether to answer or not, Taeil starts speaking. His tone seems… uninterested. 

 

“He’s an old friend. I met him in high school, it was before I knew you. He was my… best friend.” 

 

There’s an hesitation before the last words and Johnny notices it. But he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t ask anything else even though a thousand questions are already flooding his mind. Taeil has already went back to dozing off, he doesn’t look like he’s  _ there _ anymore. His eyes are open but he’s not looking at anything. Johnny leaves the room quietly without a word and he’s not even sure Taeil registered it. 

He walks with an angry and determined pace. Chenle passes by him in the corridor but when he sees his expression, he decides against the idea of greeting him. 

He knows exactly where he’s headed. He lets his feet carry him. If he isn’t the one who betrayed the Eye. And Taeil definitely isn’t either, there’s only one person it could be. And Johnny is determined to make things right. And he will throw him out himself if he needs to. 

 

“Johnny where are you g-” Ten calls out when he sees him walking awfully fast, almost racing through the corridors.

 

Johnny doesn’t stop, he doesn’t even turn around or acknowledge Ten. He can hear his quick footsteps behind him trying to catch up but he ignores it. He needs to do this right now, he can’t let anyone distract him. 

When he finally reaches the door he’s been looking for, he stops for a second, takes a deep breath and opens the door. Ten, breathless, gets here only a few seconds later. 

The lab is as tidy as it always is. And this time there’s no blood on the floor. No surgical mask laying around. And there is also nothing on the shelves. Which, to Ten, is rather odd, but it doesn’t surprise Johnny in the slightest. 

 

“Going somewhere?” he asks, his voice offering a challenge. 

 

Renjun turns around, there’s a box and a bag on the table and it looks like he just finished packing them. His eyes are tinged with a slight panic when he sees Johnny but it disappears as quickly as it came. Johnny wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t  _ expected _ it. 

 

“I’m just..” he seems to be looking for his words but Ten doesn’t give him time to answer. 

 

“You’re leaving? Why? What happened?” he says. 

 

Johnny scoffs.

 

“What happened you ask? No, what you should be asking is: What does he have to be guilty of?” 

 

Ten looks at him, puzzled, and Renjun’s expression hardens. Johnny’s wicked smile widens. Renjun knows he knows. He knows there’s no way out, no way around this. And Johnny is glad he reacted so quickly. Otherwise this coward would have just left. Without any confrontation. 

 

“So you figured it out heh?” Renjun says, he’s not looking to deny anything. 

 

“It wasn’t so hard. You and I were the only two people apart from Taeil that knew about it,” Johnny answers, still glaring at him intensely. 

 

“ _ What _ in the world are you guys talking about?!” Ten asks, slightly pissed off by being left out of the conversation. 

 

Johnny finally turns around to look at him. Ten doesn’t think he’s ever seen him so angry. He’s almost shaking. Johnny who is usually so calm and composed. It has always been his strongest trait. And now anger is boiling inside of him, so intense Ten can feel it from there. He puts a hand on Johnny’s arm to try and calm him down. A reassuring gesture. Johnny’s eyes soften and he can finally answer. 

 

“Didn’t you hear there was a traitor in the gang?” 

 

Ten blinks twice before realizing what Johnny means. He slowly turns around to take another look at Renjun, expecting some sort of denial. Renjun is just standing there, his arms crossed, an irritating little smile on his face. Ten has to use all his willpower not to punch it off his face. 

 

“How could you?!” Ten screams, and Renjun just laughs.

 

“How could I? It was easy. Sehun contacted me and I told him about it and then I sold it to him.” 

 

“Why?” Johnny asks between his teeth.

 

“Well for the money of course? What else?” Renjun shrugs like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

 

“What about family? Honor?” Johnny’s almost yelling now. 

 

Renjun scoffs. 

 

“What family? This gang? This poor group of lost causes trying to find comfort in each other by sharing their pitiful lives? No, Johnny. I never had a family here. The only reason I ever joined was to piss off my dad. I never needed any of you. I never needed anyone.” 

 

Johnny grabs his arm firmly and the look in his eyes would scare anyone away, you can almost see the flames in his pupils. His grip is so strong Renjun winces and tries to break free, but in vain. 

At this exact moment, Taeil walks into the room, probably alarmed by all the screaming. His eyes travel from Johnny’s hand on Renjun’s arm to his bags, all packed on the table, to Ten’s angry look and it doesn’t take him long to understand the situation. 

 

“Johnny, please let him go,” he says calmly. 

 

Johnny is about to protest, about to tell him everything, to show him he’s the traitor, the one they’ve been looking for. 

 

“I know,” Taeil says when Johnny opens his mouth to speak, “I know what he did.” 

 

The grip on Renjun’s arm loosen and he can finally break free. He rubs it to soothe the pain. Taeil is still calm just like the sea before a storm and Renjun isn’t reassured by that at all. He can’t read the expression on his face at all. It’s like he isn’t feeling anything. 

 

“Go,” Taeil finally says after a long while of the two of them just staring at each other.

 

“Just go. Go away and never come back,” Taeil continues when Renjun doesn’t make a move.

 

Renjun stays frozen in place. Is that it? No heart-wrenching angry tirade from their boss? No tearful betrayal? That’s how it is going to end? He is just going to walk out? Like he has never meant anything to them? And Renjun really doesn’t want the thought to hurt, but it still does. He glares at Ten and Johnny and doesn’t even spare a glance at Taeil when he walks out, his bag on his shoulder, holding his box with both hands. Taeil doesn’t flinch when the door closes with a bang behind him. He just sighs and looks down at his feet. Johnny wants to take him in his arms and soothe the pain away. Taeil has been through so much lately. He’s been handling everything on his own and taking blow by blow and Johnny isn’t sure how much longer he can be doing this. The duel, whatever the outcome, will change everything. 

  
  


A little after midnight the next day, Taeil is in the training room, practicing his punches. He’s wearing sweatpants, a black long-sleeved t-shirt and a reversed cap. His hair is pulled back by the hat and sweat beads on his forehead in small little drops that he swiftly wipes off with the sleeve of his shirt. He hasn’t turned the lights on so the only source of light comes from the moon, high above in the sky, a silvery light flowing through the small windows of the room. He’s actually quite grateful for the duel offer when he thinks about it. Training keeps his mind occupied and helps him not to think about.. Other things. It’s also relieving in a way that Taeil can’t really explain. Whatever happens on that night, one thing is certain, it will all be over after this. 

Taeil trains until his muscles burn. His t-shirt is soaked with sweat when he finally stops. He’s been kicking and punching the training dummies. He’s knocked most of them over and some of them have stuffing coming out of them by how hard he went on them. He’s also been practicing how to fight with a knife. Something that Sehun didn’t know when he offered that duel, is that when he first joined the gang, Taeil used to be a foot soldier for the last boss. He would go on almost every mission. And he was good. And that was not something Sehun had planned. When Taeil became the new boss, he stopped everything. He never stopped working out to stay in shape but, he had given up on training for fighting. Sehun probably only remembers the Taeil he met in high school. The boy who was terrible in PE class. So when he heard Taeil was the boss, and would never leave his office, he must have thought nothing had changed. 

Taeil smiles at the thought as he beheads the last dummy of the room. Sehun was in for a surprise. He won’t go down without a fight. He’s breathing heavily and sweat is dripping down his nape and the side of his face. He takes off his shirt and wipes his face with it, then throws it in a corner of the room. He sits on the bench, his head in his hands and he tries not to let his mind wander… there. He tries not to think about it because he knows it will leave him crying and not able to breathe on the floor if he even slightly goes there. As he’s sitting there on the bench, all alone, trying to deal with his own thoughts, Johnny knocks on the open door to signal his presence. He walks inside and sits next to Taeil without saying anything. Taeil doesn’t know how he does it. Being there every time he needs him. Knowing exactly when to come and what’s right to say. Even if at the moment it is, in fact, nothing. Just having him by his side makes Taeil feel more at peace. Johnny always has this effect on him. He always had. Ever since he met him he’s always been this reassuring presence in his life. This warm, kind person he can always rely on. Taeil can’t believe he could have, even for a second, doubted him. He knew he would have never betrayed him but with everything that happened. Taeil just couldn’t think straight. And he feels bad for it. 

 

“I’m sorry”, he says after a moment of silence, “for doubting you. I _ know _ you wouldn’t… I just…” 

 

“Don’t apologize. It’s okay,” Johnny cuts him off, “I’m just glad that we got rid of him.” 

 

“I don’t understand how he could do that. I’ve done everything I could to make this place a home, to give a sense of belonging to every single person in this gang, for them to feel welcome and loved in this world that has given up on them. Where did I go wrong? What did I do for him to act like this?” 

 

Taeil seems so distressed by Renjun’s betrayal that Johnny is torn between wanting to hug Taeil so tight and also breaking Renjun’s knees for making him feel like that. What Johnny decides to do surprises even himself. He takes Taeil’s head between his two large hands and Taeil’s eyes are open so wide, like he doesn’t know what going on. Johnny squeezes his cheeks softly. 

 

“You haven’t done anything wrong. Ever. You’re the purest human being on this planet, you deserve nothing but kindness and love and god I want to spend eternity giving it to you.” 

 

Johnny listens to the words leave his mouth and he thinks this is it. There’s no going back now. He will tell Taeil the truth about his feelings. He doesn’t blink, observing Taeil’s face and trying to figure out a reaction. Anything. Taeil is so taken aback he doesn’t know what to say. Johnny has always been soft with him and loving, but this is more than he’s ever said before and right there and then, Taeil thinks there’s a chance for the two of them. And if he’s honest with himself, he thinks they’ve both always known they had a chance. Ever since they met. _ Then why did they wait so long to confess?  _ Is the question you would ask.  _ Love makes you do strange things. _ Is all Taeil can think of as an answer.

 

“Hyung, I fell in love with you when I met you, I remember it so clearly. We were laying down on the grass in my backyard watching the stars and you were telling me about your parents and I fell in love with your eyes and that sad yet beautiful sparkle in them. Then you saw a shooting star and you got up so fast and you were so excited and I fell in love with your smile. And I asked you what you wished for and you said “I wish that this moment would never end” and I fell in love with your voice.” Johnny pauses to breathe “I’ve been in love with you ever since. And it has grown stronger every day, so much that now I don’t think I could ever let you go.”

 

Taeil realizes he’s been holding his breath the whole time Johnny was confessing. He releases it slowly, then he lowers his eyes. He’s never been the type to be so straight forward. So romantic. It’s always been Johnny. He swallows with difficulty then raises his gaze again so he’s looking into Johnny’s warm brown eyes. 

 

“I’ve never really been… good with words, while you’re over here with your poetic confession, all I can say is… I love you too. Johnny you have no idea how much I love you, but I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to show it to you, i-if you want it.”

 

A fond smile spread on Johnny’s face and the adoration Taeil can read on his face sends shivers through his whole body. The feeling of being loved so much. He never knew it would be so… intense. After what feels like and eternity, their lips meet and the kiss is electrifying. Taeil never knew it would feel so sweet and so _ so _ right. Johnny's lips moving against his, and his hands holding tight onto Taeil's hips and Taeil can't do anything but get lost in the feeling, get high on it, his head dizzy as they keep on kissing. When they break the kiss to get some air. They stare at each other breathless and then Johnny smiles. 

  
"I love you," he says. 

  
"I know," Taeil answers. 

  
"Did you just pull a Han Solo on me?" Johnny asks, pretending to be offended. 

  
"Maybe," Taeil says with a smile. 

  
Johnny rests his forehead on Taeil and his smile is so big it literally hurts but he can't stop himself from smiling. Now that he has him, it feels like everything is right in the world. 

 

◇◆◇

 

A few days after the duel offer, Ten is laying on the ground of the training room, empty at this late hour. Taeil would monopolize the room all day so Ten took advantages of his breaks to sneak in and train. He’s looking at the ceiling, trying to slow down his heart rate. The bright neons spreading a cold white light in the room start hurting his eyes. Looking directly at them might not have been his best idea. He sits up and picks up his knife, lying next to him. He studies it carefully, every indent in the blade, every blood stain on the handle, and every little holes he’s made in the floor with it. He smiles. He always loves to play with his knife. It’s something he doesn’t think he’ll ever stop doing. It’s just so… calming to him. Watching it bury itself in the floor, picking it up and feeling a resistance as he pulls it off the ground. But the thing he likes the most is stabbing those stuffed dummies with them. There’s nothing more satisfying than that. 

He throws a knife at the dummy in the far right corner of the room and it lands deep into its forehead. One of his favourite shot. Just when he is about to get up to retrieve it, Taeyong walks into the room, pulls it off the dummy and throws it back at Ten. The latter recoils, a bit surprised by Taeyong’s sudden attack. The knife lands right between Ten’s slightly spread out legs. He looks up, his eyes wide. 

 

“Where did you learn to do that?” Ten asks, impressed, not aware of the stupidity of his question. 

 

Taeyong laughs, walks to him and settles between his legs after removing the knife. He captures Ten’s nape with his hand and pulls him towards him in a kiss. Ten lets him take control and just follows, their lips moving against each other, only stopping when they need to breathe. 

 

“I had the best teacher,” Taeyong finally answers. 

 

Ten smiles at him, the fondness obvious on his face. Yet Taeyong doesn’t smile back at him like he usually would. He seems… troubled. Worried. Ten takes his hand in his softly, to make him look up at him. 

 

“What’s going on love?” he asks. 

 

Taeyong doesn’t answer at first, it’s like he’s looking for the right words. He takes a deep breath and finally starts talking. 

 

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” he starts, “And you know how much I like this place and everyone here…”

 

“But?” Ten knows there is a but. 

 

“But I don’t think there’s any future for us here,” he says quickly, like you do when you rip off a band aid, “Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to give up your life here, but I’m asking you to consider this: Do you _ want  _ to live this life forever? Do you  _ want  _ to be a criminal? Hiding forever? Don’t you think you and I, we could have a life? Together? Happy? In the outside world?”

 

Taeyong is about to keep talking and listing all the reasons why they should leave the gang but Ten shushes him, a finger on his mouth. 

 

“I do. Taeyong I’ve been thinking about the same thing. I need to be with you and to know you’re safe and as much as I love this place, none of us will ever be safe if we stay here,” Ten’s voice is small and sad. 

 

Taeyong knows how much the gang means to him and saying those words, planning to leave, it must all hurt. And all of this for him. Taeyong has never felt this loved before. He smiles softly and takes him in arms in a reassuring embrace. 

Ten pulls away, to Taeyong’s surprise, and he looks him in the eyes. 

 

“We can’t go now though. I need to stay here and support Taeil for his duel,” Ten says, “We can make a decision after, is that alright?” 

 

Taeyong smiles and nods. Of course. Taeil meant so much to Ten, and despite doubting him at first, he had been kind enough to welcome Taeyong in. They had to be there for him in return. 

 

◇◆◇

 

Exactly a week after the challenge was issued, the day has finally arrived. Taeil has spent the whole time in the training room and has delivered his responsibilities as boss onto Johnny’s shoulders. It has been a fairly calm week, considering that the Seven Stars must have been preparing for the duel as well. 

The fight is to happen in this big field, just outside of the city so they would be left in peace by authorities and less likely to be seen by passer-bys. They are to wait after two in the morning so the city would be asleep. No living soul except from them.  

Taeil wants to wait until two and show up right on time because he is pretty sure Sehun will be early and it will annoy him. The other members of the gang that want to assist, are, for some of them, already at the field, an hour and a half before everything starts. Ten and Taeyong are the first to get there. As a matter of fact, Ten has already assisted to duels between gangs and he told Taeyong that the wait, before the fight, is crucial. They need to assert dominance over the gang. They need to show how close they are and show that they can’t be defeated. Ten isn’t sure how many of the Seven Stars members are going to show up but he thinks it won’t be too many. They’re not what you would call a close group of people. If some of them do show up, they’ve probably been forced by their boss. Ten knows for a fact that the whole Eye of the Dragon is going to be there for Taeil and it’s going to be his biggest support during the fight. He will need it. 

The field used to be an old soccer field that hasn’t been used in at least ten years. The goals have been removed but you can still see some old paint on the grass for the lines of the field. The grass has grown a bit but despite not being used anymore, Ten thinks the city must still be taking care of it because it remains quite short for a place not used in such a long time. They find a spot to sit, next to the small fence and they wait for other people to start joining them. Thirty minutes pass and Jeno, Mark and Chenle have joined Ten and Taeyong where they sit. They start talking and the mood is curiously light for what is about to happen. Ten looks over the other side of the field and he notices there still isn’t anyone from the Seven Stars. 

Kun and Jaemin are the next ones to get there. Since they spend all their time at the 7Luck casino, the other gang members don’t get to see them often so when they walk in and say hi, it’s all smiles and pats on the back and hugs and  _ “It’s good to see you! _ ”. The boys have brought a card deck so they all sit in a circle and play cards while they wait. Kun teaches them all different sorts of poker and they even bet actual money. That they obviously lose, but no one really expected to beat Kun. 

Finally, twenty minutes before the deadline, three Seven Stars men get there, they glare at them intensely but Ten throws a finger at them and insults them and they stop looking. They sit on the opposite side of the field. Haechan is the next one to get here, looking all fancy as usual, a lollipop in his mouth, it would be surprising if he didn’t have any. He sits on the fence and watches the other boys play poker. He’s not dumb enough to lose his money. Jungwoo and Chenle are the last ones to get here, it’s one fifty in the morning and the fight is supposed to start in ten minutes. The boys have stopped playing, they’re now standing up, leaning on the fence, looking at their enemies scornfully. 

Taeil has kept his promise, he gets here right on time, and as he had predicted, Sehun arrived 5 minutes early and was ready to yell at the Eye of the Dragon’s members asking them to “go get their fucking boss!”. Taeil arrives with Johnny on his heels and they stand together, at a distance from the rest, Johnny seems to be giving him advice as Taeil is gearing up. Putting on his fingerless gloves, and some protection. 

Doyoung and Jaehyun get there around the same time and everyone can notice the way Jaehyun clings onto Doyoung’s arm but no one says a thing. That mission they both went on for a few days might have done a lot of good for their relationship. It seems like the tension that used to be between them has worn off. They sit with the others and converse with them like they usually would and it’s comfortable and chill and for the first time in a long long time, almost everyone is there and happy. It’s a shame it has to be at such an important and dangerous moment. This might be the very last time they are all united like this. They might lose their boss tonight. But they are all driven by a blind trust in Taeil and somehow they feel that everything will be fine, as long as they just believe in him. There is still a sort of anxiousness in the air though, and Taeyong may be holding onto Ten’s hand a bit tighter than usual. 

It’s now five minutes past two in the morning and both sides are preparing and getting geared up for the fights. Since weapons are allowed, it’s safer to wear some protection. The Seven Stars side has five people there to help their boss get ready and the Eye of the Dragon are almost all present. They’re all standing up now, the card decks have been put away and the atmosphere has grown more serious and stressful. That is, of course, until the last two people missing show up. 

No one notices them at first, but then they hear the creaking of some wheels and Jungwoo turns around first and he sees them. And his face lights up. Following his example, the rest of the gang turns around to see who’s coming. Even Johnny and Taeil, from their distant spot, look in their direction and the smiles that bloom on their faces is pure fondness. 

Winwin is walking towards them, a smile plastered on his face, pushing Yuta in a wheelchair. Yuta, even after all he’s been through hasn’t lost his warm and bright smile, he’s waving at them with his usual good mood. He’s wearing his own clothes but his arm and his leg are plastered and they can see the bandages around his torso through his slightly open shirt. Besides this, he looks fine. He’s alive and it’s all that matters. No one really knows who starts it but there’s a clapping and everyone follows and soon the whole gang is clapping for them and laughing and hugging under the dark glare of Sehun watching them from afar. Yuta’s release is, after all, the reason for this whole challenge. Taeil walks to them slowly and Winwin’s smile fades slightly when he sees him.

 

“Winwin, I’m so sorry for what I put you through. I was wrong, it was wrong of me. There’s no excuse for what I did. I am glad you two are okay.” 

 

Yuta looks up at Winwin and again they have a silent conversation. Winwin’s eyes find their way back to Taeil and he looks at him intensely before holding out his hand. He smiles. 

 

“Good luck,” he says when Taeil shakes his hand with both of his. 

 

Taeil nods and joins Johnny again. Winwin pushes Yuta towards the rest of the members and Haechan looks the most excited to see them. 

 

“Did he get discharged from the hospital already? It’s only been a week!” He asks excitedly, kneeling to be on Yuta’s level and talk to him. 

 

“Well, not exactly,” Winwin says looking down at both of them, “We got an authorization for a one day release to come support Taeil but I have to bring him back to the hospital tomorrow morning.”

 

“At least you’re here, and recovering,” Ten adds to Yuta. 

 

Yuta smiles at them they can all see how he’s struggling not to cry. With all of his friends, his family gathered around him, so happy to see him and laughing with him, he’s now realizing how lonely he’s been when he was a prisoner and being with all of them again was everything he could have ever hoped for. He holds Winwin’s hand on his shoulder and the boy rubs his shoulder to comfort him.

  
  


A few feet away, Taeil is finally ready to fight. Contrary to everyone else, Taeil’s mood isn’t light. There’s a heavy load on his heart. He’s been dreading this fight the whole week. Not because of the physical fight in itself but rather because of who it is against. He knows Sehun and himself have been enemies for years. And they haven’t talked in years. Yet, thinking about…  _ killing _ him, Taeil doesn’t know if he can do it. Johnny notices the way his hands shake slightly and how tense he seems to be. He takes one of his hands in his and holds on tight. To give him strength. To show him that he isn't going anywhere. Taeil has a small thankful smile. 

 

“I want you to have this,” Johnny says, searching in his bag and retrieving an item. 

 

It's a beautiful knife with a deep black blade and blood red gems encrusted on the handle. It's the most gorgeous and balanced weapon Taeil has ever seen in his life. But he recognizes it. He's seen it before. It's Johnny’s most prized possession. It's the knife he takes with him everywhere. His good luck charm as he likes to call it. It's a family heirloom passed down from generations and generations. To think he wants to give it to Taeil is overwhelming to him. Johnny’s affection and love go beyond everything Taeil has ever experienced. But he  _ can't _ take it. He can't accept something like that. He doesn't make a move to pick the knife up, instead he just looks at Johnny, stunned. 

 

“Take it. It's yours now. I know you'll take good care of it. I want you to have it. So it protects you,” Johnny adds.

 

“Johnny I can't-” 

 

Taeil is cut off by Johnny shoving the knife in his hands and closing his fingers around it. 

 

“There. Yours,” he says with a satisfied smile. 

 

Taeil doesn't have time to protest, as he's opening his mouth to answer, a loud sound coming from a horn rings out. Who even brought a horn? These Seven Stars people are really too dramatic. Sehun is standing in the middle of the field, waiting for him. Johnny caresses Taeil's cheek softly and Taeil walks away, holding on tight to Johnny's knife, towards the duel that will decide of all of their fates. He is doing it for them. For his members. They all believe in him. Trust him. He can't let them down. Yet he, himself, doesn't know if he's strong enough to succeed. 

Taeil and Sehun spend a long time just looking at each other from a distance. Until a Seven Stars guy walks up to them and stops at an equidistant spot from the two of them. He raises his arm, then counts down to three and lowers it, walking away quickly. 

The duel has started. Taeil doesn't make a move at first. Sehun comes running to him, raising his knife above his head but Taeil is ready and blocks him easily, stopping the blade with his own knife. He elbows Sehun in the chest in an agile movement and runs back a little to think about what to do next. He's holding onto his knife, ready for anything Sehun might throw at him. Sehun doesn't move for a moment, holding his chest where Taeil hit him, a strange look in his eyes. Taeil knows him, and he knows that look. Sehun never took this fight seriously. He never thought Taeil could defend himself. That look means something has changed in him, that maybe now he can consider Taeil a worthy opponent. The look disappears quickly, replaced by a cruel glint in his eyes and a smirk spreading on his face. Sehun runs towards Taeil once more, yelling, and there's a clash of blades and fists and soon they're both rolling on the floor punching each other. Taeil's lip is cut and Sehun eyebrow arch is bleeding. Eventually, Taeil manages to escape Sehun’s grasp. Taeil’s blade has fallen on the floor next to Sehun’s feet and he kicks it away from them. Taeil’s eyes take a glimpse of where it has fallen to figure out how to retrieve it. But that was obviously a mistake. He sees Sehun at the last second, enough to do a roll to avoid him but not without getting a nasty cut on his thigh. Taeil winces in pain, there’s no time to stop. He runs towards Sehun, pretending he will just jump him all fists and kicks but he turns last second and runs to get his blade. Sehun doesn’t have enough time to avoid the blade as it whistles through the air and eventually rips the clothes and skin in Sehun’s side. He falls on one knee, sliding the blade slowly out of his body with a pained cry and throws it on the floor. Taeil doesn’t give him any time he runs towards him again, retrieving his blade and raises it but Sehun’s free hand stops him with his own blade. They look at each other like that for a while. Their blades, bloody, sliding against each other. Their eyes, not looking away. Taeil knows those eyes so well. There was even a time he…  _ loved _ those eyes. 

Suddenly every single memory seems to come back to Taeil, as he’s there at the end of everything they’ve ever lived. One of them will die today. And Taeil can’t help but feel guilty. Because it is his fault Sehun is here right now. At least, he knows he has a part in him wanting to join a gang. Taeil had given up on him. He left him on his own when he needed him most. Before Taeil met Johnny in high school, Sehun was his best friend. And Taeil was… his only friend. They were closer than best friends. Sehun loved him. He confessed to Taeil one day after school when they were hanging out together. And Taeil panicked. He loved him too, but he was a young teenage boy. He got scared. Then Taeil met Johnny and it was so different. The crush he had disappeared the longer he spent time with Johnny. Johnny was everything Taeil had been looking for. When he told him about the gang and offered him somewhere to escape his house with Jisung, Taeil didn’t hesitate for a second. And he never told Sehun where he went, nor that he would leave. He didn’t want him to be in danger if he knew about it. Now that Taeil can look back on what happened, he knows he was wrong. He knows he didn’t treat Sehun right and he acknowledges he has every right to hate him. He should have been honest with him. But what is done is done. There’s nothing Taeil can do to change the past. The only thing he can do is be better from now on. 

That’s why he does what he does next. Still holding his blade to Sehun’s, he kicks Sehun in the side where he previously wounded him. Sehun cries out in pain. And falls to the ground, tears in his eyes. Taeil places his knee on Sehun’s chest and steps on the hand holding his knife. Sehun’s eyes are full of pain and hatred when they meet Taeil’s eyes. And Taeil’s blade is on Sehun’s throat and he can’t hear anything, can’t hear the cheers of his members, can’t see anything but Sehun’s eyes and feel his heavy breathing under his knee. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Taeil ends up saying, “I know you won’t forgive me and that’s fine. I just needed to tell you I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left without telling you. I shouldn’t have treated you like that-” 

 

“Shut up!” Sehun screams, interrupting him, “Just shut the fuck up! Kill me and get it over with, I don’t want to hear your pathetic excuses.” 

 

Taeil’s blade draws a small drop of blood from Sehun’s neck but no matter how tight Taeil holds on to the handle, he just can’t do it. 

 

“I’m not gonna kill you. I can’t. You win. Do whatever you like with this city. I’m done. I’m leaving. But I swear to fucking god if you ever even just lay a finger on any of The Eye of the Dragon members, I will come back and I will rip you apart. And I won’t have anything holding me back this time,” Taeil says at once, not expecting these words to leave his mouth but once they do he knows it’s the right thing to do. 

 

It is what’s been on the back of his head since what happened to Jisung. He can’t stay in the gang. Not with all the memories it holds. Not if he has to see people he loves die again. Not if he has to be responsible for it again. It’s too painful. He hits Sehun on the head with the handle of his blade so he doesn’t try any sneaky back attack. He knows him too well. He leaves him there, unconscious, and walks back to his gang, limping with the wound on his leg, wiping the blood dripping from the cut in his lip with his just as bloody hands. Back there on the side of the field everyone jumps and screams and cheers and hugs each other and runs to Taeil to congratulate him and pat him on the back. And it’s a lot of “ _ We knew you would win _ ” “ _ You’re the best _ ” “ _ We believed in you _ ”. Taeil doesn’t know what to answer, he doesn’t know what the right thing to say is. After all, he’s about to abandon them. Once again he’s about to disappoint people. But he needs to do it. He will walk away, and he won’t look back. 

Johnny grabs his hand. Of course he noticed something isn’t right, he gives him a curious look and Taeil softly smiles at him and squeezes his hand.  _ Everything is fine _ . Or at least, it will be. 

Once they get back to the headquarters, Taeil heads to his room without saying a word and he starts packing up everything. And everything that’s in his office. Now, he didn’t expect to leave unnoticed so it doesn’t surprise him when he hears Johnny scream his name behind him as he’s walking towards the door with his backpack and a bag in his hand. He keeps walking, his head lowered, looking at the ground. Then, he can’t stand it. He stops and there are tears in his eyes. 

Johnny runs to him and holds his hand and cups his face.

 

“What’s going on? Where are you going? Are you leaving?” his voice sounds panicked. 

 

“I can’t do this anymore,” Taeil says in one breath, “I’ve done everything I could for this gang but… It’s over, I can’t keep doing this. It’s too much responsibility for me, I’ve done my best to protect you guys and I know I didn’t always succeed, and I’m sorry. But now I’m leaving. And I don’t wanna make you come with me, I know how much you love this gang...” 

 

“And you love it too,” Johnny’s voice is shaking now. 

 

“Yes… I do. But I have to leave.” 

 

He turns his back to Johnny, knowing he would rather stay anyways, and walks away, his bag thrown on his shoulder towards the open double door of the entrance. The sun is shining so brightly in the early morning that you can barely see anything outside. He doesn’t notice how the whole gang is walking behind him now until he stops at the door, and turns around. He sees all of their faces. People that he cares about so deeply. They look confused, they don’t understand why Taeil is going away. He feels that he needs to tell them. Something,  _ anything _ . 

 

“Thank you for everything. For all these years where you have been the best family I could have ever wished for. And thank you for being brothers to Jisung. He loved you all so much. But it’s time for me to go now. Goodbye.” 

 

He waves sadly at them, then turns around, wiping a tear away. It’s only after a few steps that he feels someone walking next to him. It’s Johnny, he’s looking straight ahead but his hand finds Taeil’s and he holds it. He will go wherever Taeil goes. Taeil smiles, tears in his eyes until he realizes Johnny isn’t the only one who’s joined him in his walk. He turns around and Jungwoo is by his side, as well as Jeno, Mark, Chenle, Haechan, Kun, Jaemin, Jaehyun, Doyoung and Winwin pushing Yuta’s wheelchair. The only people that are still standing at the door are Taeyong and Ten.

“Guys,” Taeil starts softly, “I don’t know where I will go yet, but wherever I end up, I’m done with gang shit. I won’t do this anymore. I’m sorry.” 

 

Ten looks at Taeyong and his eyes are almost sparkling. Taeyong smiles back at him and grabs his hand and together they walk down the stairs and join everyone, standing in front of Taeil. 

 

“It doesn’t matter what you do, or where you go. What matters is that we stick together. Because that’s what families do,” Ten answers with a bright smile. 

  
This is the most valuable lesson the Eye of the Dragon has taught him, and if it has to die, it’s okay, as long as they keep their bond alive, they can make it through anything. In the end, Ten thinks this is what they always should have been doing. Sticking together. They don’t have to do illegal shit. They don’t have to isolate themselves from society because society has rejected them, given up on them. They have each other. Society can go fuck itself. They won’t hide anymore. The future is so vast, they can do anything. They can be  _ anything _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it!! This is already the last chapter!  
> I'd like to thank u all so so so much for all the support you have given me, all the lovely and excited comments and the kudos, i just appreciate it more than you guys can know!  
> I hope you like this ending, i know its hard to please everyone but i hope you wont be too disappointed. I really wanted a positive ending   
> Anyways i hope you liked this story i definitely loved writing it so much and im happy with how it turned out uwu 
> 
> I hope to see you guys on my next fics! <3


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